Move Over Ted Stevens, Here Comes Dr. Jordan: DOJ’s Next Brady Scandal?

Arthur Jordan used a counterfeit badge and posed as an on-duty U.S. Marshal in order to carry firearms onto commercial airplanes while on personal travel. He did this nine times. According to the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, Jordan’s “criminal conduct” resulted in “multiple violations” of 18 U.S.C. Sections 912 and 1001 and 49 U.S.C. Section 46505, and “could have been charged as felonies.”

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Sins of the Father…. Part 2

In my last post I criticized Justice Scalia for the last sentence of his dissent in the Maples case. “Because a faithful application of those precedents leads to the conclusion that Maples has not demonstrated cause to excuse his procedural default; and because the reasoning by which the Court justifies the opposite conclusion invites future evisceration of the principle that defendants are responsible for the mistakes of their attorneys; I respectfully dissent.”

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The Sins of the Father . . . . .

My partner Howard came rushing into my office: “Did you read the Scalia dissent?” I confessed I had no earthly idea what he was referring to so he threw it down on my desk, finger jabbing at the last line, “Read this.”

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Big Win in the 11th Circuit

Dr. Robert Ignasiak was charged in a 54-count indictment with health care fraud and illegally dispensing controlled substances. He was found guilty and sentenced to 292 months’ imprisonment. The opinion issued by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals reverses Dr. Ignasiak’s conviction.

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Crossing Examining McQueary: Part 2

Since my last post on McQueary, Joe Paterno gave a press interview to Sally Jenkins of The Washington Post. According to the reporter, Paterno said that McQueary sat at Paterno’s kitchen table and told him about hearing noises coming from the shower late the evening before. “He was very upset and I asked why, and he was very reluctant to get into it. He told me what he saw, and I said, what? He said it, well, looked inappropriate, or fondling, I’m not quite sure exactly how he put it.” He went on to say that McQueary was unclear about the nature of what he saw.

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Coaching Part 2

Right after I wrote the first coaching piece I came across this cartoon by Hugh MacLeod at his wonderful website gapingvoid.com. “You can’t read the label of the jar you’re in” tells us you can’t see yourself from the inside. You need an independent opinion from someone looking at you to tell you how others [...]

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The Federal Cooperation Scheme

The Sunday Miami Herald had a page-one story on the Scott Rothstein criminal enterprise. While most of the scandalous events have been publicized by now, one quote caught my attention. Former US Attorney Jeffrey Sloman, in response to the cacophony surrounding Rothstein’s lack of credibility, is quoted as saying “some of the most despicable people have been great witnesses.” Jeff’s observation goes right to the heart of the cooperation flaw in our justice system.

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Coaching

“Times change, not men, and me, least of all.”  Jacques Mesrine, French Gangster I loved the film “Chariots of Fire,” about two British Olympic sprinters and their desire for gold medals, but one part grated my modern sensibility. Back in the 1920s, it was considered ungentlemanly and against amateur rules for an athlete to hire [...]

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Cross-Examining McQueary

It is comparatively easy to cross-examine the cooperating witness. One who is involved with the conspiracy. Who committed crimes. One with a substantial history of crimes, deception and dishonesty. Who has cheated and defrauded regular people like the jurors. The jury has little sympathy for them, and cheers on your exposure of his ugly character defects.

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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I voraciously devoured all three books and the Swedish films of the Millennium trilogy so I can comfortably be counted as a hopeless Steig Larsson fanboi. But this is not about the new Hollywood film but rather the review by A. O. Scott in the New York Times. Actually Scott’s article is more a psychoanalytic study of Lisbeth Salander and Swedish society than a review of the film but I recommend it because of it’s sparkling wit.

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