Re: Precisions on the Martinot situation

From: JDP (jacques@dtext.com)
Date: Tue Jul 29 2003 - 11:50:19 MDT

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    Giu1i0 Pri5c0 a écrit (25.7.2003/15:59) :
    > My experience tells me that good lawyers are quite smart folks able
    > to understand quickly whatever they need to understand in order to
    > defend their client in court. So I think any good lawyer will "get
    > it" is (s)he wants (read: if paid enough). If I were to choose a
    > lawyer to protect my own frozen body against this kind of things,
    > rather than choosing a naive "believer" I would choose one of those
    > legal sharks who win divorce and inheritance cases (like Pat Webster
    > in The First Immortal).

    > The difficulty is that, contrary to divorce and inheritance cases,
    > here there is no money to win. So the lawyer wants to be paid in
    > cash instead that as a percent of the sum gained.

    > I suggest that you contact the very best legal studio in Paris and
    > find out how much they want to take the case. If it is much more
    > than the Martinot family can afford (I am sure it is), we can see
    > how much we can raise from cryonicists.

    Somehow I agree with your idea, but with some reservation. Cryonics is
    so young and fringe at that stage, that you may actually need someone
    who understands the scientific and philosophical background to
    defend it usefully.

    The Martinots' situation, legally speaking, is crystal-clear: they are
    dead, and will be disposed of according to the law. It would seem you
    cannot "use the law" to defend the Martinot in France, right now,
    however smart and sharky you are. You need to get the guys to consider
    that the couple might not really be dead, so that dead bodies disposal
    law is not relevant. And that is difficult, because cryonics is seen,
    at best, as a scary movie fantasy.

    Another thing is, French lawyers are not as sharky as in the US, for
    reasons linked to the special status of lawyers, and for more general,
    societal reasons. Money-driven social organization is, FBAW, not as
    pervasive in Europe as it is in the US.

    In any case, I am presently finding out what the next judiciary stage
    involves, and what the options are.

    Jacques



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