WHENEVER I have nothing to do I think of ways to improve the k-gal system in this country. This does not mean that it needs much mproving. but a teenie-weenie bit wouldn t hurt

If I have learned one thing from the O J Simpson trial, it is that as soon as they get in die courtroom lawyers never seem to be able to find the piece of paper they are looking for. I have come to the conclusion that the length of a trial could be cut in half if basketball rules were applied to the legal profession. In pro basketball a team has to shoot in 24 seconds or lose possession of the ball to the opposing side. This has speeded up the game and prevented the players from "freezing die ball' when they arc alx-ad.

If applied to legal proceedings. lawyers on both sides would have only 24 seconds to locate a document.

If they couldn't do it. they would be penalized and the judge would hold them in contempt of court

By imposing this knxi of regulation lawyers would no longer be able Io pre tend tliat they don't know where a piece of paper is. nor could they claim that they have no idea what they're looking for.

One of the stratqpes frequently used by lawyers is to bring out a 500 page-loose k al notebcxik and start fumbling through it as if they have just seen it for die first time. While all eyes are on them, they suddenly find what they warn and slam-dunk it in the witness face.

If the 24 second ruk is adopted, attorney s will either have to shoot or drihbk-. whkh is all iixm of them do anyway

Another idea 1 had for the improvemeiu ol dx profession comes from kt hockey. If a lawyer is guiky of calling the other lawyer some terrible name, the offending counsel would be sent to the penalty box and forced to sit out the questioning of the- next two witnesses, thus putting his side in a scorek-ss skua lion.

Sports are far bencr polked than the legal professkin. and the players udu the rules very seriously since they will be booled out if they don't obey the regulatkms I his is imh true of the legal profession, whkh, ilianks to the Simp son case, is imiw considered a contact sport — anything goes as long as tlx judge is iku kxiking

I have exx more suggestion to sohv the gndkxk in our csxirts The drixur rages over the welfare system.

Hie solutxm is kx wetfare rec ipients lo serve jury duty in order to qualih for benefits.

fhose with more than 12 c Iukiren w ill lx sequeWcTed during tlx k-iigth ol tlx trial, and welfare jurors will be permined to rwgixial* their own bc»k cun tracts with pubkslx rs

I nlikc the Simpson trial, people on welfare will have u> stay to the vm end. even il Judge Ito doesn't like the was they k>ik at other furors

llxsc an ixils a tew hunfok sotoUcxis xi how to improve ir fudx lai *ss tem. They would make for a smexither faire r kgal vvvtrm and givr the NN fans al home wxiuthing u> rrxit fix

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