Category: Lawyering

Lawyering, Media, Politics

Report: Hunter’s Lawyers Balked at Kevin Morris Pushing Laptop Conspiracy Theories
We have previously discussed the controversial representation of Kevin Morris of Hunter Biden, including the threat from Morris to sue me for defamation if I continued to raise ethical concerns over his conduct. Now a report by the New York Times suggests that even Hunter’s other lawyers had concerns over Morris’s claims, particularly the fostering of a conspiracy theory to deny the authenticity of the infamous laptop of Hunter Biden.

Continue reading “Report: Hunter’s Lawyers Balked at Kevin Morris Pushing Laptop Conspiracy Theories” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, Lawyering

Modus Operandi? Pennsylvania Judge Suspected of Shooting Boyfriend…Five Years After Shooting Her Former Husband

Dauphin County Magisterial District Judge Sonya M. McKnight, 57, is facing a case of modus operandi this week. However, the suspect showing the alleged pattern of criminal conduct is herself. McKnight is accused of shooting her ex-boyfriend in the head while he slept. The shooting took place five years after McKnight was cleared in the shooting of her former husband in the groin.

Continue reading “Modus Operandi? Pennsylvania Judge Suspected of Shooting Boyfriend…Five Years After Shooting Her Former Husband” →

Columns, Lawyering

Who is Kevin Morris? Even Hunter’s Lawyer Seems Unsure

Below is my column in the New York Post on the recent deposition of Kevin Morris, counsel for Hunter Biden. The transcript only magnifies ethical concerns that I have raised in the past despite a threat of a defamation lawsuit by Morris’s own counsel. Morris often seemed confused about what role he was playing as donor, investor, collector, lawyer, producer, or friend.

Here is the column: Continue reading “Who is Kevin Morris? Even Hunter’s Lawyer Seems Unsure” →

Lawyering, Torts

The Curious Ethical Case of Kevin Morris

On Wednesday, I received a letter from Bryan M. Sullivan, a partner at Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae LLP, who is the lawyer of Kevin Morris (who is the lawyer for Hunter Biden). The letter warns that I could face a defamation action if I do not retract (or if I repeat) my criticism of Morris’s representational relationship with Hunter. Putting the personal invectives aside, Sullivan did offer a couple of details on the possible defense of Morris in a pending ethics complaint brought by a conservative legal group.

Continue reading “The Curious Ethical Case of Kevin Morris” →

Criminal law, Lawyering

Fani Willis Accuses Wife of Alleged Lover of Being an Adulterer and Political Conspirator

In a surprising filing, Fulton County’s district attorney Fani Willis has accused the estranged wife of her alleged lover of conspiring to undermine the Trump prosecution by seeking her deposition in the messy divorce case of Nathan Wade. Willis, again, does not deny having an affair with Wade, who she appointed lead prosecutor in the case. Instead, she accuses Joycelyn Wade of an affair that broke up the marriage and suggests that she is coordinating with Trump forces to interfere with the prosecution. Continue reading “Fani Willis Accuses Wife of Alleged Lover of Being an Adulterer and Political Conspirator” →

Columns, Criminal law, Lawyering

Legal Blow: Hunter’s Defense Hammered by Discovery of Cocaine on Gun Pouch

Below is my column in the New York Post on discovery of cocaine on the pouch holding Hunter Biden’s gun. Biden’s team is likely to move to keep the tests out of the trial due to the breaks in custody (it was first thrown into a dumpster and then discovered by a man rummaging through the trash). However, the discovery is the latest setback for the defense team struggling to find a defense to the charges.

Here is the column: Continue reading “Legal Blow: Hunter’s Defense Hammered by Discovery of Cocaine on Gun Pouch” →

Bizarre, Lawyering

AI Did It: Disbarred Michael Cohen Admits to Sending Fake Case Citations to Get Early Release from Supervision
C-Span/YouTube Screenshot

Michael Cohen, former President Trump’s onetime fixer and lawyer, has admitted to a federal court that he was the source of fake case citations used to support his effort to end his supervised release from his earlier criminal convictions. He blamed Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the error, he also seemed to throw his own attorney under the bus for not checking his work. Continue reading “AI Did It: Disbarred Michael Cohen Admits to Sending Fake Case Citations to Get Early Release from Supervision” →

Criminal law, Lawyering, Politics

“Just Rip it Up”: Hunter Biden is a Case Study of the Perils of Legal Gluttony

The second indictment of Hunter Biden brought nine new criminal charges and a host of problems for both him and his father. The indictment shatters past claims and denials related to the massive influence peddling operation by the Bidens. However, it is also a case study of the perils of legal gluttony. Continue reading ““Just Rip it Up”: Hunter Biden is a Case Study of the Perils of Legal Gluttony” →

Criminal law, Justice, Lawyering

Father Knows Best: Special Counsel Slams Hunter Biden’s Subpoena Demand

Special Counsel David Weiss filed a blistering opposition to Hunter Biden’s request to subpoena former President Trump and other former officials in his ongoing federal trial. On Tuesday, Weiss felt it necessary to remind Hunter that his “father, Joseph R. Biden, is the President of the United States” and his administration brought these charges. This “Father Knows Best” argument suggests that Hunter needs to focus a bit closer to home. Continue reading “Father Knows Best: Special Counsel Slams Hunter Biden’s Subpoena Demand” →

Lawyering, Media, Politics, Torts

The Case Against Andrew Weissmann: MSNBC Analyst and Mueller Aide Faces a Trump-Like Lawsuit

When hired by MSNBC as a legal analyst Andrew Weissmann, host Ari Melber explained that Weissmann is a “legend” while others heralded his insider perspective on cases. While many disagreed, Weissmann now has the inside scoop on a major defamation lawsuit in Washington, D.C. He is also the defendant. The controversial former aide to Special Counsel Robert Mueller (and NYU law professor) is being sued after declaring that attorney Stefan Passantino coached former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson to lie before Congress. Continue reading “The Case Against Andrew Weissmann: MSNBC Analyst and Mueller Aide Faces a Trump-Like Lawsuit” →

Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Lawyering

No, Rashida Tlaib Should Not Be Sanctioned by the Michigan Bar

This month, the Coolidge Reagan Foundation has called upon the Michigan bar to investigate and sanction Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., over her comments on Gaza and Israel. While I have been critical of Tlaib over her rhetoric and claims on the Hamas attack and later war, I believe that such sanctions would be inimical to free speech and pull the bar into political controversies. Continue reading “No, Rashida Tlaib Should Not Be Sanctioned by the Michigan Bar” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, Lawyering

Houston Lawyer Charged With Smuggling Drugs into Jail on Ecstasy-Saturated Legal Papers
A Houston attorney, Ronald Lewis, 77, is facing criminal charges over an allegation that he brought drug-laced papers into a jail that later caused the death of two inmates. We have previously discussed charges of attorneys for criminal conduct in jails, but few have reached this level of culpability. Lewis is currently facing two charges of having a banned substance in a correctional facility. However, it is possible, if not likely, that additional charges will be brought later.

Continue reading “Houston Lawyer Charged With Smuggling Drugs into Jail on Ecstasy-Saturated Legal Papers” →

Columns, Criminal law, Lawyering

Spring Break: Christie’s Prediction of a Trump Conviction by Spring Just Hit a Snag

Below is a longer version of my column in the New York Post on the leaking of the interviews of former counsel to Donald Trump. The interviews could magnify the difficulties for both Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Special Counsel Jack Smith in their respective prosecutions.  These cases still represent a serious threat to Trump, but these prosecutors must first overcome a glaring potential contradiction. That does not mean that Christie and the other candidates will not get a “Spring Break” with a conviction, but it could prove more challenging even with highly favorable jury pools.

Here is the column:

Continue reading “Spring Break: Christie’s Prediction of a Trump Conviction by Spring Just Hit a Snag” →

Columns, Criminal law, Lawyering

Smith’s Sirens: Can Trump Be Convicted for the Lure of Bad Lawyering?

Below is my column in The Messenger on the emerging controversy in the Trump prosecutions over the testimony of former counsel to the former president. Various lawyers have now accepted plea bargains. However, Special Counsel Jack Smith and the Fulton County District Attorney appear to be arguing that, while Trump was assured of these claims by counsel, he should never have listened to them. It is a type of “Siren’s Call” theory of criminality.

Here is the column: Continue reading “Smith’s Sirens: Can Trump Be Convicted for the Lure of Bad Lawyering?” →