Our position is justice has the best chance to come to light in the courtroom when good attorneys are on both sides of the issue. Another media outlet sees it differently.
The News Journal has repeatedly attacked the Escambia Board of County Commissioners over the 401(a) retirement plan. Last Friday, the daily expanded its vitriol to include the Levin Papantonio Rafferty Proctor Buchanan O’Brien Barr & Mougey law firm for representing the BCC – pro bono – against claims made by County Clerk Pam Childers.
The News Journal hasn’t gone after the local firm that represents Skanska USA or the firms depending Big Tobacco in cancer death cases or those who helped BP spin its misinformation during the BP oil spill. It could be argued those cases are more important than the county’s retirement plan, so why now disparage a firm?
Why would the News Journal single out Levin Papantonio Rafferty and accuse them of not caring for the best interest of average citizens? Instead the daily newspaper directs people to seek help from the Orlando-based Morgan & Morgan.
I talked with the several of the Levin Papantonio Rafferty partners over the weekend. They believe it wasn’t a coincidence the attack was posted online on early Friday morning – two days before it appeared in Sunday edition – the same day the PNJ front page touted a call for a committee to study changing county government. The editorial strike seems to be timed to bolster the need for the charter study group.
I don’t believe in conspiracy theories, but I was told the firm looks forward to depositions to uncover the truth and why some seem set to derail the trial before it happens.
