Yes, these things really do happen. I just uttered those words a few days ago and then come this story about a local lawyer who asked a client to kill his former office manager. Paul Andrews, a San Antonio lawyer, wanted to kill his former office manager, according to a report in the San Antonio Express News. The former office manager, Maryann Uribe, is the main witness against him in a barratry lawsuit. Barratry refers to the crime of soliciting clients. The Texas legislature made barratry lawsuits economically attractive a few years ago by allowing some percentage of any recovery for the person bringing such a lawsuit. So, now barratry lawsuits are economically viable.
The lawsuit against Mr. Andrews is currently pending in Nueces County. Mr. Andrews has offices in Corpus Christi and in San Antonio. The lawsuit has been ongoing for three years now in a few different counties.
Mr. Andrews, according to the report, offered a client a discount on his attorney fee for a case, if he would perform a favor for him. Mr. Andrews explained that this was the best way to pay the client without leaving a paper trail. Mr. Andrews indicated to the client that he would not mind if Ms. Uribe was run over by a car or killed. Mr. Andrews was recorded while affirming his desire to have Ms. Uribe killed.
Yes, these things do happen. Those crazy episodes on Boston Legal – the ones I always described as so unrealistic – reflected more reality than I realized.