So much disturbing news since the end of last week regarding deporting several planeloads of men who were accused of being members of a Venezuelan gang. I’ve listened to a few diverse opinions ranging from it’s a constitutional crisis to the judge who ruled that the planes had to return to the U.S. could have made his written ruling more comprehensive as his oral ruling was.

The phone almost went into the corner of the couch at that one, but I kept listening.

Quite a few times in the last eight years I’ve thought about two classes I had to take in college for my major – two semesters of business law. The courses were taught by local attorneys instead of the law school faculty. We got a lot of practical application and stories, and a lot of information beyond business law.

One of the attorneys taught us about the code of conduct that applies to attorneys practicing in court in particular. I’ve never learned all of the ins and outs of that but essentially if you are representing a party in court your first obligation is to the court and the proceedings, not your client. If you believe your client is going to lie under oath, you don’t call them to testify. That kind of thing.

We’ve seen a number of people have their law license revoked or in serious jeopardy because they stepped over a line.

I am wondering how much of the line was obliterated this past weekend and hoping the lawyers representing the government’s position in court don’t find themselves in trouble as well. When you know where the line is but the people directing you either don’t know or don’t care it can be unbearable. If you stop caring yourself that is so much worse.