Marin immigration lawyer convicted of hate crime against man speaking Farsi

[KamaAina]

Not The Onion!!

Frank Russell Wilson, a San Rafael-based immigration lawyer, doesn't deny yelling at a man outside a Corte Madera restaurant because he was speaking Farsi, not English.

He doesn't deny using profanities with the police who arrested him.

Nor does he deny he was heavily inebriated at the time. Indeed, he said tequila was largely to blame for his behavior.

What he did deny, in his testimony at trial, is that any of his actions were motivated by bias or bigotry. A Marin County jury apparently disagreed Thursday, convicting Wilson of a hate crime and battery.

The upside is, he may have to find a more suitable line of work if he gets disbarred over this.

[Brother Buzz]

1. At the jail, Wilson's demeanor ranged from remorseful to belligerent, police said.

"Well, I guess you can't kick another guy's ass in Marin County anymore. What is this (expletive) world coming to?" he said, according to the police report. "I'm an immigration attorney, and I'm sick and tired of bailing these foreigners out of jail."

http://www.marinij.com/government-and-politics/20150904/marin-immigration-lawyer-convicted-of-hate-crime-against-farsi-speaker

Even if he's not disbarred, he really needs to find a more suitable line of work

[stevenleser]

3. I think he simply is someone who has an alcohol abuse problem.

He needs to get help for that.

[Iggo]

5. Alcohol didn't make him hate Farsi-speakers.

It just made him forget to HIDE the fact that he hates Farsi-speakers.

[stevenleser]

6. I don't agree with "In Vino Veritas". I think people say all kinds of crazy stuff when drunk.

It's certainly possible that his tirade was completely in line with how he really feels, I don't think we can know that for sure.

[Brother Buzz]

15. Well, there's that, too

But I think the root of his problem is he's pissed he has to share his town with a large Iranian population of 1%ers who arrived decades ago when the The Shah of Iran fell. And people who purchase LARGE houses with suitcases full of money don't need Wilson's services, they use the White Shoe law firms in 'The City'. Wilson is a small bitter man.

[Kotya]

4. Um, isn't this kinda what an immigration attorney does?

"I'm an auto mechanic, and I'm sick and tired of people bringing me their broken down cars to fix!

Arghh!!! Where's the tequila?"

[KamaAina]

7. Precisely.

Welcome to DU!

[Kotya]

9. Thanks!

I've been lurking here for ages. Figured it was time to sign up.

[Warren DeMontague]

10. seriously. A good American drink!

Arrrriba!

[stevenleser]

2. Good thing alcohol is legal and not pot most places.

If he was high on pot he probably would have hugged the Farsi speaking folks and told them he loved them.

[Warren DeMontague]

8. If Frank had wanted to get high, I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem in Marin.

Even gentrified, yuppified Marin.

[stevenleser]

11. Unfortunately, he chose the legal option, possibly because he is a lawyer with prior issues with

the law. I think the article says he was on probation.

[Warren DeMontague]

12. yeah, when I want to avoid legal trouble, first person I call is Jose Cuervo.

[stevenleser]

13. That is how some people think. nt

[MrScorpio]

14. It's guys like this who give five percent of lawyers a bad name. nt