Don't Monkey with the Evidence: Lawyers Need to Speak the Truth to the Media

For some reason, the Skeptics Society sent me a copy of their brochure "Top 10 Myths About Evolution (And How We Know it Really Happened)." As a matter of full disclosure, I believe there is one God that created everything. However, I do recommend that you look at the brochure for yourself because I'll give the Skeptics Society credit for taking a number of common objections to evolutionary theory and making them attention-getting headlines (even for a believer). However, their responses requires more faith than believing there is a God who did it all.

For example, people often question how the "eye" could evolve from inorganic matter? Recently, my wife and I had our second daughter and I was reminded by the doctors that the babies are born with eyes that will stay the same size throughout life. How would it be possible for such a complex part of the body to evolve from a "single, light sensitive spot in a cell" as the Skeptics Society claims in their brochure? It begs the question, then who made that "single, light sensitive spot in a cell?"

Many times attorneys are called on by the media to explain their position in a case. Often it requires taking complex legal matters and turning them into sentences that a fifth grader can understand. I've seen attorneys try to create a smoke screen when the truth is something that works against their client. Former Illinois governor George Ryan was sentenced by a federal judge to 6 1/2 years in prison in 2006 and he recently asked to be released early from custody because of his wife's terminal illness. The judge refused and made clear that Ryan was to blame for his own plight. Yet, Ryan has a bank of attorneys who have and continue to defend him, despite him being clearly convicted of criminal charges. These lawyers are trying to "monkey" with both the evidence and truth of the matter.

When I work with attorneys I make clear we are going to present the underlying truth of the matter in a way that helps the media and, of course, helps my clients. If we can't do that, then we have to reconsider our approach. I'm not going to allow a client to evolve a lie into truth.