Lawyer of the Day: Alison Maynard
When we wrote about her amusing court filing earlier today, we redacted her name. But since she has shown that she has no problem with being identified, even going so far as to comment on our prior post, we're happy to shout her name from the blogospheric rooftops: ALISON MAYNARD.
Alison Maynard, who ran unsuccessfully for Colorado Attorney General as a Green Party candidate, is known in some circles as "Sunny" Maynard. And with her hilarious motion, Sunny Maynard has brightened the days of thousands of lawyers around the country.
This is why we're naming her our Lawyer of the Day. Congratulations, Ms. Maynard!
For those of you who didn't read our prior post, here's the relevant excerpt from Maynard's motion:
In the hours since we posted it, we've been bombarded by several lengthy email screeds from Maynard. Because most of them contained the words "water rights" and "bill of costs," they were initially banished to the "Boring Stuff" subfolder of our "Junk Mail" folder.
But we dutifully rescued them, and we even read them. Some excerpts, as well as links with biographical information about Alison Maynard, appear after the jump.
This is the most noteworthy information that Maynard sent to us:
[T]he motion I filed WAS WITHDRAWN last night. That means it is considered as never filed. I filed another motion for extension out of time last night. If you publicize the original motion, you will be out of line, since it is considered never filed, as a matter of law.In the meantime, I would like you to contact Phillip Doe, the chair of the Citizens' Progressive Alliance, at (303) xxx-xxxx, or at xxxxx@comcast.net. He will tell you what this case is really about. It is very juicy material for your readers.
Maynard appears to think that our tipsters, who sent the motion to us because it caused them to laugh their asses off, are in cahoots with her enemies:
Know that your "confidential sources" are conducting a racket here in Colorado. Instead of putting on a case on the merits in water court, for instance, they focus all their energy on making me or my clients look bad, conducting a smear campaign, and the like. While the original motion for extension I filed represented a lapse in judgment, you should know that I am working essentially pro bono, in the public interest, to defend Colorado's water resources and environment against this real estate developer/governmental cabal, which runs this state (and runs the federal government, as well). Call Phil. Let HIM be a source for you. You'll like him.
Hmmm... We're not so sure we want to become the "Erin Brockovich" of water rights. We may take a pass on that.
Maynard is REALLY convinced that our sources are out to get her:
I hope you appreciate, too, that MY clients, the members of the Citizens' Progressive Alliance, do not act in secret, as "confidential sources." They are not ashamed to reveal who they are, nor am I, even though I have been the target of some of the sociopaths on the other side -- and I do not use that word lightly. The people who are communicating with you, one in particular, have caused me intentional harm because I have opposed their schemes.If you are hearing from David Robbins, for instance, know that this man has spent a considerable portion of his career trying to destroy me. What you have described of your source fits: that's how he operates, behind the scenes, so no one can pin it on him.
Actually, we didn't say anything to Maynard about our sources, other than to say that our default rule at ATL is to keep all tipsters anonymous. But whatever.
Maynard makes various allegations against Robbins. We're not going to run them because we haven't verified them (and none of them are funny enough to merit the trouble of fact-checking).
Maynard also seems to think -- perhaps she is just a touch paranoid -- that many of the commenters on the last post are part of the cabal against her:
I'm wondering how many of the other comments on your site were posted by Scott McElroy (lawyer for the Southern Ute Tribe), David Robbins or Jennifer Hunt (one of the law firms for the Southwestern Water Conservation District and Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District), Susan Schneider (lawyer for the U.S. Dept. of Justice), Janice Sheftel (another lawyer for the SWCD), Dan Israel (lawyer for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe), Eve McDonald or Carol Angel (lawyers for the State of Colorado), John Bezdek (another lawyer with the Dept. of Justice), the whole cast of thousands who are engaged in this racket.I think I neglected to tell you that, in obtaining funding for the Animas-La Plata project, these characters solemnly told the United States Congress that they were giving up irrigation as a use. They could not get environmental approvals for the project if irrigation was retained, so they removed it and Congress approved the project. Of course, now they have an irrigation project from which irrigation has been removed as a legal use! The problem for these lawyers, ethically, is that, despite their and their clients' statements under oath to Congress, as well as their failure even to mention that they were seeking diligence as to irrigation in their application in this case in the water court, in the trial in 2006 they told the court they never really meant it: they did NOT give up irrigation as a use! They still sought a finding of diligence as to irrigation! And they got it. They got everything they wanted, of course, because that's the way it is in Colorado.
Okay, most of that went WAY over our head. We appreciate Ms. Maynard's commitment to her cause -- but we think she needs to lighten up a bit.
How can we reconcile this deadly earnest, possibly paranoid environmental crusader with the fun-loving, wine-swilling, emoticon-using lawyer who filed such a delightful and charming motion?
This Is WAY Better Than 'The Dog Ate My Pleading'
ALISON "SUNNY" MAYNARD: Candidate for Colorado attorney general [Krystle Russin]
On the Spot: Green candidate accuses Salazar of campaign-finance violations [CSIndy]
Attorney General Race Rife with Collusion Charges [Media Visions - Colorado]
(76) Comments
The judge for cases in this water district would appear to be the Hon. Gregory G. Lyman, based on the court's website.
Any idea when his birthday is?
Jobs are my water. Too bad I'm like a nomad in the desert.
"they focus all their energy on making me or my clients look bad"
Seems Ms. Maynard doesn't need any help in this regard.
Lat, there's nothing to reconcile -- she was either drunk when she filed that motion or drunk right now, and she is crazy all the time.
Ms. Maynard,
Don't worry about any of this. It means nothing. Your motion was cute and funny. To make yourself feel better, watch this video (FYI the guy looks a lot like a bald David Lat.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1qWKMZLCQ0
Maynard consoler
Thanks to this woman, Above the Law is my new favorite site. There is simply nothing more amusing than a humorless, irate ideologue.
Can we dig up anything else about Maynard to post, and hopefully spur more responses from her?
Damn this woman's crazy. Good reporting work Lat!
Who was she taking to dinner?
Phillip Doe, the chair of the Citizens' Progressive Alliance, once tried to touch me. It was really offensive. Who gets off on touching ears?
Lat, you got Farked!
http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=2658791#new
Lat, you got Farked!
http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=2658791
she could never work at Gallion & Spielvogel. emoticons simply are not prestigious.
She really does seem more than a bit unhinged. Maybe she should be negligently inebriated more often. She seems like a nicer person when she's drunk, or at least when she's writing about being drunk.
Best posts since the days of A3G.
Hey Sunny,
I've been told by some confidential sources from some Colorado corporations that your original motion was part of a nefarious plot you have with the Judge to steal water, turn it into wine, then drink it, thereby ruining the lives of Native Americans everywhere, forcing them to live without casinos, and doing away with the "LLC" and the state of Delaware. I think my source knows what he's talking about. However, I want to trust you--I like you. Plase prove that's not true.
(Crosses fingers, hoping that was crazy enough to prompt a mind-blowingly crazy response.)
she could never work at Gallion & Spielvogel. emoticons simply are not prestigious.
Best posts since the days of A3G.
Hey Sunny,
I've been told by some confidential sources from some Colorado corporations that your original motion was part of a nefarious plot you have with the Judge to steal water, turn it into wine, then drink it, thereby ruining the lives of Native Americans everywhere, forcing them to live without casinos, and doing away with the "LLC" and the state of Delaware. I think my source knows what he's talking about. However, I want to trust you--I like you. Please prove that's not true.
(Crosses fingers, hoping that was crazy enough to prompt a mind-blowingly crazy response.)
I heard Maynard just raised for 1st Years
Lat, you're an asshole. Maybe this woman asked for it by bombarding you with e-mails. The initial post was great, and preserved the humor while being discreet at the same time. This post makes me think you're drinking too much time drinking from the cesspool these days.
Best posts since the days of A3G.
Hey Sunny,
I've been told by some confidential sources from some Colorado corporations that your original motion was part of a nefarious plot you have with the Judge to steal water, turn it into wine, then drink it, thereby ruining the lives of Native Americans everywhere, forcing them to live without casinos, and doing away with the "LLC" and the state of Delaware. I think my source knows what he's talking about. However, I want to trust you--I like you. Please prove that's not true.
(Crosses fingers, hoping that was crazy enough to prompt a mind-blowingly crazy response.)
12:55 - made me laugh out loud.
2:56: No, YOU'RE the asshole. What is objectionable about this post?
Maynard ASKED Lat to post her material. She WANTS the world to know her motion was withdrawn.
So what the hell is your problem?
Lat, any word on Citizens' Progressive Alliance raising?
"I'm wondering how many of the other comments on your site were posted by Scott McElroy (lawyer for the Southern Ute Tribe), David Robbins or Jennifer Hunt (one of the law firms for the Southwestern Water Conservation District and Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District), Susan Schneider (lawyer for the U.S. Dept. of Justice), Janice Sheftel (another lawyer for the SWCD), Dan Israel (lawyer for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe), Eve McDonald or Carol Angel (lawyers for the State of Colorado), John Bezdek (another lawyer with the Dept. of Justice"
Which one of these is Loyola 2L?
2:54/2:57: LMAO. GENIUS.
2:54/2:57/3:06 stop talking to yourself.
"Maynard ASKED Lat to post her material. She WANTS the world to know her motion was withdrawn."
Did she? Here's what she said.
"[T]he motion I filed WAS WITHDRAWN last night. That means it is considered as never filed. I filed another motion for extension out of time last night. If you publicize the original motion, you will be out of line, since it is considered never filed, as a matter of law."
Looks like a request to take it down. What else did she say?
"I have no problem if you report on the pleading I'm attaching, therefore. I do have a problem if you purport to report on anything else."
I read this as, "if you want to report on the substance of the case I won, I'm ok with that, but I'm not ok with you reporting on the 'motion for an extension because I'm drunk.'"
Maybe I missed something. Where does she ask Lat to post her material, and where does she ask for her name to be publicized?
Maybe she deserves this because her motion is a matter of public record and because Lat's not posting anything that's untrue, but not because she flipped out after seeing the initial post.
Phillip Doe, the chair of the Citizens' Progressive Alliance, is the father of Anna Nicole's baby.
Lat,
Close the damn italics tag!
Sunny,
You had my respect for being an honest lawyer, and bravely asserting to the court the relative unimportance of one extra day for a filing. But now I see you are just as CYA-obsessed, stressed to the hilt, and obnoxious as the rest of us. I vote against your status as "lawyer of day."
But do feel free to write back and defend your position. We're waiting.
I bet those bastards in the CO corporations have inserted the italics.
Test. If this failed, it's because I go to a tier 2 school.
2:56 (and presumably 3:08):
This is totally fair game:
1. Unlike, say, the law librarians, Alison Maynard is a PUBLIC FIGURE. She ran for STATE-WIDE OFFICE in Colorado.
2. She is also involved in some high-profile litigation, in which she frequently comments to the media (often to make nasty comments about her opponents).
3. Since when can public figures say, "Report on what puts me in a good light, and don't report on what embarrasses me?"
4. Since when can public figures say, "Don't report on what embarrasses me," when the embarrassing material is in PUBLICLY FILED COURT DOCUMENTS?
If your sensibilities are so delicate, ATL is not for you. Please go away and leave us snark aficionados alone.
Nevermind.
She lost the case and sounds like she's upset about it. If you lose the case, and all you have to say on your behalf is "I'm too drunk to file my motions on time" and "I should have won, this is an injustice," you probably deserve this stuff.
3:08 - SHE came to the website and posted her OWN name in the comments. Lat isn't giving her name any more publicity than she cam to ATL seeking.
3:29: Agreed. Lat originally redacted her name. Then she showed up and posted this huge-ass comment, UNDER HER OWN NAME.
You people need to get over yourselves.
All of this is wildly entertaining. It is pretty fun to sit and watch someone's career spinning out of control over a few sentences worth of bad judgment.
I am honestly astonished at this response. Does she really think the entire world is a vast conspiracy out to simultaneously discredit her and steal Colorado's water? The exagerated sense of self-importance she displays, combined with her willingness to baselessly impugn and defame opposing counsel really makes me think she needs to do some serious soul-searching. :-/
Any chance of getting a PDF of the actual "I am soooooooo wasted!" filing?
I wonder if she is a psycho woman? I don't remember from studying for the bar x amount of years ago..but is calling out people's name like she does in one of her emails actionable? (as libel or slander...forget which)
You all MUST click on the link to Alison's name on Lat's post. The article about her campaign finance suit is hysterical. After reading that, it's clear why she responded the way she did to Lat. Hysterical!
She should look into hiring Reputation Defender. By all accounts they are doing a bang up job of cleaning up that xoxohth/autoadmit mess.
3:39. It's not, but cavalierly calling someone mentally ill on a public forum sure is libel.
You people defending this woman have got to be fing crazy. This woman publicly filed a motion in which she admits to being too drunk to perform her professional duties. Moreover, she used an emoticon in the filing. She deserves every single bit of public ridicule she is receiving. She's fing crazy.
You people defending this woman have got to be fing crazy. This woman publicly filed a motion in which she admits to being too drunk to perform her professional duties. Moreover, she used an emoticon in the filing. She deserves every single bit of public ridicule she is receiving. She's fing crazy.
didn't michael corleone have Salazar wacked?
"calling someone mentally ill on a public forum sure is libel."
I remember learning something about truth being a defense.
However, this accusation is not true. Sunny, defend yourself, we believe in you!!!
sigh...
you mean: "whacked."
This women is bat shit crazy.
As an attorney in Colorado, I have witnessed many a ridiculous drama starring Ms. Maynard. She has long been considered a joke in the Colorado legal scene. Her AG campaign was a sad circus. Glad she's hit the big time now.
1. Her motion on its face admits to legal malpractice.
2. Whether someone is crazy is a matter of opinion and te First Amendment protects opinions. Even if te statement were considered a factual representation, she is a public figure and must staisfy the actual malice reuiqrements of NYTimes v. Sullivan. Good luck!
3. She purports to have witdrawn the motion. Last time I checked, a lawyer may only withdraw a motion that is pending. This motion has been granted. therefore, the motion becomes a part of the record and must be preserved for appeal. It may not be stricken or withdrawn.
4. She oviously suffers from a serious case of narcissistic personality disorder.
5. She is a disgrace to the legal profession.
6. She is at war with Native Americans and the Department of Justice. Think about that.
4:01...yes, i meant whacked. forgive me. i attended a tier 2 mobster training program.
1. Her motion on its face admits to legal malpractice.
2. Whether someone is crazy is a matter of opinion and the First Amendment protects opinions. Even if the statement is considered a factual representation, she is a public figure and must staisfy the actual malice reuiqrements of NYTimes v. Sullivan. Good luck!
3. She purports to have witdrawn the motion. Last time I checked, a lawyer may only withdraw a motion that is pending. This motion has been granted. Therefore, the motion becomes a part of the record and must be preserved for appeal. It may not be stricken or withdrawn.
4. She obviously suffers from a serious case of narcissistic personality disorder.
5. She is a disgrace to the legal profession.
6. She is at war with Native Americans and the Department of Justice. Think about that, folks.
She's been in practice for FIFTEEN YEARS.
Wow. I'd say that I hope I pull her as opposing counsel next time around, but it seems like whenever you get someone this moonbatty, it makes the work somehow less rewarding. You spend your time responding to quack motions and cleaning up pointless disputes.
I wonder how much wine she's had today....
4:16 -- are u that infamus summer from sulivan and cromwel that kant spel? ur speling is a disgrace to teh legal profesion.
4:41--you should learn the difference between a typo and a misspelling; do you seriously think he (she?) misspelled the word "the"?
LMAO! While we have all likely wanted to file the "I need an extension b/c I was busy partying" motion, and can thereby sympathize, it is the fact that we thought better of it, and did not do so, that separates us from Sunny...although, more power to her for having gone round the bend far enough to actually file the motion, and for managing to hang on to her job after doing so (gotta love the non-profit world!). In her defense, I am sure she works hard for little to no compensation, and more than anything it seems that Sunny needs a long, relaxing vacation.
Did any of you realize that she was requesting "another" one day extension? This was not even her first extension! To respond to a friggin bill of costs!!
Who is this judge that he abides her nonsense? Everyone currently in lawschool at DU, your diploma just dramatically plummeted in value thanks to this woman.
After reading the campaign finance article and Ken Lane's responses to Sunny, I say we all move to CO. It apears they have already begun leaking wine into the water supply, a vast conspiracy that I hope other states join in on soon as it will clearly make for some interesting motions!
Party at Maynard's tonight. It's totally gonna rage!
3:34,
"The exagerated sense of self-importance she displays, combined with her willingness to baselessly impugn and defame opposing counsel really makes me think she needs to do some serious soul-searching. "
Don't know many lawyers, do you?
She really desrves to have a drink named in her honor...any suggestions?
I agree that her motion constitutes malpractice. The group she's representing could sue her and win in a heartbeat.
David, please do not let this story die.
I doubt that anyone she is representing (pro-bono) would want to sure her over this matter. Apparently she withdrew the motion, and, while clearly she should have thought better before submitting it, it seems more than a bit much to turn it into a lawsuit. She effed up, it was funny and somewhat sweet, and after all the attention given her mistake, I am sure she is mortified enough to never do anything like this again. We have all seen far worse things done by attorneys that are at least as experienced as she is, many who are at very prestigious firms.
To all the folks blaring the "malpratice horn": Legal malpractice required evidence that, but for the conduct complained of, the action would have come out in the plaintiff's favor. The court in question *granted* her motion for an extension. No harm, no foul, no malpractice.
It wasn't even actually the friend's birthday. The friend just said it was, as part of the conspiracy between the Native American Tribes, State of Colorado, and the DOJ, as well as with the 2002 Colo. AG candidates.
Most of the prior commenters are astonishingly straitlaced, pompous and humorless. Where exactly is the fault in using an emoticon in a court filing? Precisely where is the fault in being funny in a court filing? Where is the fault in touching the judge's funnybone and thereby getting a motion approved (for the world's most minimal privilege) -- even if the ATL vultures can't appreciate it? Right, there is no fault anywhere in those behaviors. Ms. Maynard has perspective, and besides she's cute. What more can we ask?
Lat's posts seem to have brought out all the losers who post on autoadmit
"Where exactly is the fault in using an emoticon in a court filing?"
Are you f*&#ing serious??? What planet do you live on? What bar are you admitted to??? What law school granted you a degree???
I agree with 11:07 pm.
peterpatnter, you're absolutely insane to think that an emoticon is not a problem in a court filing. Would your college diploma (as you clearly never graduated from law school) look better with a little smiley face emoticon on it? I don't think so.
I'm glad someone is doing the work of protecting our environment. Even if she's crazy.
I request that we all just move along and think no further about Ms. Maynard or her silly issues. Because I'm a Californian, and we need to steal Colorado's water.
Believe me, she is no friend to the environment, even if she thinks so. She suffers from delusions of her own grandeur. She is an example of bad lawyering all around.
She works pro bono because who would actually pay for this kind of legal representation?
3/8 4:24 wrote: "Wow. I'd say that I hope I pull her as opposing counsel next time around, but it seems like whenever you get someone this moonbatty, it makes the work somehow less rewarding. You spend your time responding to quack motions and cleaning up pointless disputes."
You called that one. Anyone sufficiently masochistic to read the case files would discover a long, long string of Ms. Maynard's unsuccessful motions, including her serial motions for sanctions, costs, and attorney fees.
Having had the misfortune of litigating against Ms. Maynard, I can confirm those commenter's suspicions that she is, indeed, bat-shit crazy and is a menace to the legal profession. She shouldn't have a license and should have been disbarred years ago.