Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Raffanello Trial: Charges against former DEA chief survive – for now

That's the headline from the DBR:

The defense in Miami maintains the destruction of papers in a 95-gallon bin was part of a routine shredding schedule and that the documents were duplicated on the firm’s computer servers. “The evidence is at best thin,” said visiting Judge Richard Goldberg. He said he would let the trial go forward but may reconsider the request for a directed verdict of acquittal later. The prosecution rested Monday, and the defense called its first witness late this morning. Sitting at the defense table were prominent Miami criminal defense attorneys Richard Sharpstein and Ed Shohat, who jointly argued the motion, as well as former Miami U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey and Jane Moscowitz. Scheduled character witnesses are former Miami U.S. Attorney Guy Lewis and Michael “Pat” Sullivan, deposed Panamanian ruler Manuel Noriega’s lead prosecutor.

3 comments:

Rumpole said...

I'm sorry but just how does character enter into this?
Does he get to have witnesses testify that "we worked together in law enforcement and his character was that he avoided shredding evidence when it was subpoenaed?"

I'm not unsympathetic to the defense here- and this has all the markings of a BS case and I hope he is acquitted if he deserves to be- but I can barely get Jenks before the appeal is filed and Sharpie gets to parade half the US Attorneys Office on the witness stand for the defense?

Anonymous said...

The Blue Shield baby

Anonymous said...

for once i agree with state hack rumpole ( although he doesnt know when to shut up and is verbose and all over the map like a state hack)

all those former prosecutors got to stick together