Innocence Project Attorney is Sued

I have been familiar with the Innocence Project for a while, and I've admired the good work that they do. They take on cases of convicted inmates who they believe may be innocent. Many innocent prisoners have been freed due to their work.

I had always assumed they were sort of a charity and did their work for free. That looks now like it may not be the case. Consider the case of Steven Phillips (pictured above). Mr. Phillips spent 25 years in a Texas prison for a sexual assault and burglary that he did not do.

The Innocence Project took on Phillips' case and referred it to Lubbock attorney Kevin Glasheen. Phillips was eventually exonerated and freed from prison. Due to a new Texas law, he is now scheduled to receive a large settlement (about $4 million) from the state of Texas.

Sounds like a great story doesn't it? It was until Phillips received a bill from attorney Glasheen. The bill was for $1 million. To me, that sounds like a massive insult added to a huge injury. And it turns out that Glasheen is also representing 13 other exonerees -- all of whom are due to receive large compensations from the state. It looks like Glasheen is trying to get rich off these exonerees who were tragically wronged.

Phillips is refusing to pay the outrageous attorney fee. He has sued Glasheen. He has also added to his suit an Innocence Project attorney, Jeff Blackburn -- the attorney who referred his case to Glasheen. Phillips suspects Blackburn may be getting a kickback from Glasheen's abnormally large fees.

Frankly, I find this whole thing disgusting. The compensation paid by the state was to help make up for a huge injustice done to these exonerees. It was not meant to make attorneys rich.

I have no problem with the attorney getting a reasonable fee, but this looks like pure naked ugly greed.