State Senator Rosalind Kurita has sponsored legislation banning advertising by DUI lawyers

The bill in question has a provision sponsored by Sen. Rosalind Kurita (D-Clarksville) that explicitly prohibits attorneys from advertising that they specialized in DUI cases, from advertising a discounted rate for DUI defense, guaranteeing a certain judgment in the case or claiming that the attorney had more expertise than another on drunken driving defense.

Well, guaranteeing an outcome is already prohibited by the rules of ethics. The rest of it simply reeks from a variety of directions. But why did Senator Kurita introduce this obviously unconstitutional bill?

In response to the [Attorney General's] opinion, Kurita said she’ll “have to find another way” to curtail drunk driving.

Kurita sponsored the amendment because she said she was tired of seeing suspected drunk drivers not be convicted.

Her response to increasing DUI convictions is to curtail the accused’s right to counsel, which is dubious on a variety of fronts, including the commercial speech aspect that Attorney General Bob Cooper noted in his opinion.

Anyhow, what’s the real reason for Kurita’s amendment?

Her opponent in August’s Democratic primary, Tim Barnes, is an attorney whose practice area includes DUI defense.

I hope he kicks her derriere.

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