Bothwell v. Republic Tobacco Co.
United States District Court for the District of Nebraska
912 F. Supp. 1221 (1995)
Relevant factsFree
Earl Bothwell (plaintiff), an indigent man, sued Republic Tobacco Company (Republic) (defendant), alleging harm from its tobacco products, and asked the court to appoint him counsel. The judge appointed attorney Paula Metcalf, who moved to vacate the order, arguing federal courts have no authority to force an attorney to represent an indigent party in a civil case without pay.
IssueFree
Whether federal courts have the inherent authority to compel attorneys to provide uncompensated counsel to indigent parties in civil cases when the appointment is necessary to a fair and just adjudicative process.