County
Best Defense is Good Defense
October 15, 2005 
A GUARDIAN EXCLUSIVE
Those three Ada County Commissioners facing charges filed by the Idaho Attorney General for allegedly violating the open meeting law know a good thing when they see it.
The lengthy legal battle with Lariat Productions over the lease at Les Bois Park had many legal turns and twists navigated by Lariat’s lawyer, PAT FUREY who opposed the commishes.
Fast forward a couple months to when the AG filed civil charges against the commishes over a closed door meeting with City Councilor Vern Bisterdeldt.
They were in search of outside private legal counsel and obviously considered the old adage, “When you want a guard dog, you get the meanest scariest one you can find.”
The commissioners were bitten and chased by Pat Furey enough to know he can keep intruders at bay. So they hired him! What is unclear at present is who will pay–the commishes who stand to pony up a max of $150 each for a civil penalty–or the citizens who were left out of the equation altogether.
The true irony in all this is the action of the AG as watchdog/prosecutor may cost the taxpayers more in attorney fees than it is really worth. The taxpayers may pay for BOTH the prosecution and defense. We see the whole thing as a speeding ticket that doesn’t go on your record: didn’t mean to do it, but got caught over the limit and the fine won’t go on your record. Pay the fine and get over it.
One more thing. Pedigree is as important within the legal community as it is with canines. Just a coincidence we are certain, but PAT FUREY has a cousin who is also a lawyer. SHERM FUREY is chief deputy in the same Attorney General’s office that filed the charges against the commishes.
The only way it could be more fun would be to have Mayor DAVE BIETER’S brother, Judge CHRIS BIETER, hear the case in his court. What a great state!
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Oct 18, 2005, 10:13 am
The commishes should pay for this “Bower Movement” out of their own pockets. Again, Bower and Argyle have created a fanciful conflict of interest to keep them from performing their duties. The civil division has twelve attorneys and a decent budget. Argyle often repeats that the Commisshes are his primary clients to all other elected/county officials. Why aren’t they his clients now? Because Bower gave the AG the complaint? That is not how conflicts work.
As for conflicts of interest, I have concerns that Mr. Fury’s representation of Lariat creates a conflict, or at least the appearance of one. Shame shame.