Sacramento attorney Thomas Riordan didn't know what he was getting into in 1991 when he agreed to handle death row inmate Richard Dean Turner's appeal.
He had never tackled a death penalty defense, but chose to participate in a novel California Supreme Court program that assigned civil lawyers to capital cases in hopes of reducing a huge backlog.
Riordan floundered, even with assistance from experts in the field. When the opening brief had not been filed more than 10 years later, an angry and unsympathetic state Supreme Court held him in contempt, fined him $1,000 and ordered the repayment of more than $42,000 in fees.
On Aug. 2, Riordan faces more repercussions from the Turner case when he goes to the State Bar Court in San Francisco to defend himself against charges he performed incompetently. He will make the simple and compelling argument that in some ways, he was the victim of a Supreme Court program that never really worked.
He plans to show that he was in way over his head and that the Supreme Court contributed to his failure by refusing to release him from his commitment.
Details here from The Recorder via Law.com.