Help Buju Banton Pay His Lawyer (What's His Name Again?)

I always say lawyers should get paid for good work.

That's why like-minded citizens can band together and help Buju defend himself (wire instructions included!):

Markus told the Observer that the cost of the first trial has taken a huge financial toll on the artiste and asked fans, friends and supporters of the artiste to assist in any way they can.

Very true.  That's one advantage the government always has when they decide to retry a case -- they never run out of money.

On the other hand, does anyone else find it unseemly (obscene?) that Ken Feinberg has already collected $2.5 million for three months' work on the Deepwater Horizon disaster:

The $850,000 monthly payments to Feinberg’s firm will continue through year-end and then will be reviewed, a person familiar with the contract said today.

The money goes to seven professionals at Feinberg’s firm and is paid by BP separately from the fund to help victims, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity about details not spelled out in today’s report. Among those being paid is Feinberg’s brother David, according to the report. David Feinberg is listed on the firm’s website as director of special projects.

The payments from BP help offset the “significant distortion” the project is causing to the Feinberg firm’s business, Mukasey said in the report today. Feinberg Rozen has turned away three mediation requests since June, according to the report. 

 Ok, three mediation requests but come on!

The last time I used Feinberg for a mediation he was billing well north of $1000 an hour, and that was quite a while ago.

How's that compare to the hourly rate of an Article III judge, like Judge Barbier who is presiding over the actual MDL litigation?

BTW, the Judge picked the steering committee to oversee the prosecution of the Deepwater Horizon litigation, and our own Ervin Gonzalez made the list, which you can see here.