Are the lawyers representing the government intentionally lying to the court, or are they just incompetent?

Probably a bit of both.

I read about this story yesterday. It seems like the lawyers were incompetent and ill prepared.

When you’re a young lower middle class worker, you just assume every single lawyer and doctor is an amazing person that’s leagues above you.

When you get older, you realize some of those people barely scraped by.

Like the saying goes “What do you call a lawyer that got all D and C grades?

A lawyer.”

Largely, the lying is intentional. It’s the American way.