Paula McMahon has the preview of the sentencing here.
When Scott Rothstein's former protegee Christina Kitterman went to trial earlier this year, she became the only one of his associates — so far — to roll the dice and force prosecutors to prove their case.
It didn't work out for her. Jurors found her guilty of three counts of wire fraud for impersonating a Florida Bar official during an April 2009 conference call that federal prosecutors said kept Rothstein's massive Ponzi scheme alive for its final six months.
Kitterman is facing a very uncertain fate when she is sentenced Tuesday in federal court in West Palm Beach.
Sentencing guidelines recommend a punishment of 20 years in prison, her defense attorney Valentin Rodriguez Jr. said, but he hopes U.S. District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley will sentence her to probation.
"She had to endure Scott Rothstein for many years, which is punishment enough," Rodriguez wrote in court records submitted to the judge.
Kitterman is a convicted felon, will lose her license to practice law and was "blacklisted in the legal community," Rodriguez wrote.
Lets see if the trial tax exists. This woman was an addict at the time she wandered into Rothstein's web. He took advantage of her sexually, emotionally, and professionally. Sentencing her to any significant prison time does nothing other than punish her for going to trial. It doesn't send a message to other lawyers, because unlike Rothstein's former partners, she was fairly powerless in the relationship. Rothstein paid for her rehab and abused her along the way. She is a troubled soul who was unfortunate to meet Rothstein. She has suffered enough. She was right to go to trial and she shouldn't be punished for it by being sent to prison.
ReplyDeleteShe was no victim. She got money and knows what she did. She did have a drug problem she deserves 10 yrs at least and fine. Prison will teach her not to be such a dumb ass she is a hore to.
DeleteShe knew what she was doing if she was a.victim she would not be a corrupt lawyer. Plus she took money what a dumb ass she deserves 10 yr.at least and fines. All of the people in this case are snitches including main man if u do the crime do the time to late to cry and snitch then! Do your let the lawyer work snitches have no values weakness.
DeleteYear and a day, tops
ReplyDeleteHey I am standing in line to get into mag ct at the Atkins Building and I noticed that Bert Jordan doesn't have an asterisk next to his name like Stan Marcus indicating that he was elevated to the 11th circuit. What's the deal with slighting him? Also the last judge they have listed as being appointed is Cooke in 2004. Budget cuts?
ReplyDeleteAn apology
ReplyDeleteShe is going to get a lot of time, simply because she is a lawyer and her offense had to do with her being a lawyer.
ReplyDeleteCan we take up a collection to get JJ an asterisk?
ReplyDeleteRumpole is on the right track here.
ReplyDeleteWhile a defendant shouldn't be punished for going to trial, she perjured herself and that's a problem.
ReplyDeleteTrial tax alive and well
ReplyDeleteMust disagree with Rumpole. Kitterman was the most dishonest lawyer I ever dealt with. In 2007 or so I filed a 150+ page motion for sanctions against her and her law firm, the ponzi-scheme empire Rothstein, Rosenfeld & Adler, which was ignored by a judge I later learned had ties to RRA. She willingly did whatever Rothstein asked her to over the course of her career, ethical or not, and her "little girl lost" routine was absurd. Also, know one who has ever dealt with Judge Hurley can seriously believe there's a trial tax - she'd have gotten the same sentence had she pled. Frankly, she deserved more time, and I was surprised Judge Hurley didn't give her more. She's fortunate that her lawyer, Val Rodriguez, is really good.
ReplyDelete