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pnwmom

(108,972 posts)
Mon Jan 7, 2019, 06:33 PM Jan 2019

A Judge Told The Defense In The Russian Troll Farm Case To "Knock It Off" With Attacks On Mueller

Source: BuzzFeed News

The federal judge handling special counsel Robert Mueller's prosecution of Russian entities and individuals accused of meddling in the 2016 election told the defense on Monday to "knock it off" with attacks on Mueller's office.

Since prosecutors filed charges of election interference in February, the lead attorney for defendant Concord Management and Consulting, Eric Dubelier, has used strong, and at times pop culture-laden, language in his pleadings. The rebuke from US District Judge Dabney Friedrich came three days after Dubelier filed court papers that questioned the trustworthiness of Mueller's office. Dubelier compared the government's arguments to a line from the movie Animal House: "Flounder, you can't spend your whole life worrying about your mistakes! You f**ked up ... you trusted us. Hey, make the best of it."


Friedrich, who set Monday's hearing roughly two hours after Concord's latest filing appeared on the docket Friday, was not amused. Concord's recent filings were "unprofessional, inappropriate, and ineffective," Friedrich told Dubelier, and the defense's "relentless personal attacks" on the special counsel's office and others involved in the case would not play a role in her decision.

"It's undermining your credibility in this courthouse," Friedrich said.



Read more: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetillman/russian-troll-farm-robert-mueller-lawyer



And from the Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/russian-firm-indicted-in-mueller-probe-accuses-trump-appointed-judge-of-bias/2019/01/07/194a79e0-129f-11e9-803c-4ef28312c8b9_story.html?utm_term.13ea7afc46a9

A federal judge on Monday sharply criticized the U.S.-based attorney for a Russian company indicted in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation, and the attorney fired back that the judge showed "bias" against him.

The fiery exchange threatens to complicate the already complex prosecution of Concord Management and Consulting, which was indicted in February along with its owner, Russian businessman Yevgeniy Prigozhin, and other Russian individuals and companies. They are accused of financing and overseeing a social media operation to disrupt the 2016 U.S. election.

Concord's defense team had asked a court to rule on its demand to share with Prigozhin -- known as "Putin's chef" because of his close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin -- millions of pages of evidence turned over by Mueller prosecutors. Under a court protective order, sensitive evidence in the case must be reviewed first by a U.S. government "firewall" counsel before being released to any non-U.S. national, including co-defendant Prigozhin, in part because of his alleged ties to Russian intelligence.

SNIP

Friedrich, who said last year she would reconsider the question of sharing evidence with Prigozhin when the case was further along, scheduled a hearing for March 7 to do so.




And from Twitter:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1082317915528007681.html

Some fireworks in court this morning as a judge criticized the lawyer representing Concord Management & Consulting in the special counsel Russian troll farm case for his language and harsh words about Mueller's office in filings -- "unprofessional, inappropriate, and ineffective"

The judge told attorney Eric Dubelier that his strategy was "ineffective" and that his approach to filings -- including pop culture quotes (see: assets.documentcloud.org/documents/5676...) and accusing Mueller's office basically of lawlessness -- was "undermining your credibility in this courthouse"

SNIP
25 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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A Judge Told The Defense In The Russian Troll Farm Case To "Knock It Off" With Attacks On Mueller (Original Post) pnwmom Jan 2019 OP
"It's undermining your credibility in this courthouse," Friedrich said. Well said!! riversedge Jan 2019 #1
Ain't that the truth!! ffr Jan 2019 #7
Warning To All Defense Attorneys Me. Jan 2019 #2
It takes some nerveless gall to quote "Animal House" to a federal judge. nt Hekate Jan 2019 #3
The fact that these attorneys representing a russian company and oligarch and putin buddy would slan lancelyons Jan 2019 #4
Fact that Dubelier's law firm, Reed Smith, would tolerate this is crazy EndGOPPropaganda Jan 2019 #10
They are entitled to mount an effective defense madville Jan 2019 #22
This is good for the defense jberryhill Jan 2019 #5
Can the unbelievably bad lawyer be the one who appeals, or would they have to fire him first? n/t pnwmom Jan 2019 #6
They'd have to fire him first jberryhill Jan 2019 #11
Oh... you just inadvertently answered a question for me Takket Jan 2019 #17
The "crazy lawyer" tactic is a longshot, but... jberryhill Jan 2019 #18
Eric Dubelier from Reed Smith LLP: takes money from Russia to attack America EndGOPPropaganda Jan 2019 #8
You can tweet at Dubelier's law firm - ask why Reed Smith is taking Putin's money EndGOPPropaganda Jan 2019 #9
Why do they take the money? jberryhill Jan 2019 #19
Yes, but why is it socially acceptable to take their money EndGOPPropaganda Jan 2019 #23
Because legal defendants are entitled to representation by an attorney? jberryhill Jan 2019 #24
It's very clear Trump fucked up in 2017 jmowreader Jan 2019 #12
Putin's goal is to undermine our system, including judiciary sharedvalues Jan 2019 #14
Are we sure this "lawyer" isn't Frito Pendejo of Idiocracy fame? Still In Wisconsin Jan 2019 #13
One of my favorite movies! GetRidOfThem Jan 2019 #15
Brawndo! Still In Wisconsin Jan 2019 #21
It's got electrolytes jberryhill Jan 2019 #25
Rachel Maddow devoted the first half of her show to this tonight. BigmanPigman Jan 2019 #16
"unprofessional, inappropriate, and ineffective" DIAVED11 Jan 2019 #20

ffr

(22,665 posts)
7. Ain't that the truth!!
Mon Jan 7, 2019, 07:10 PM
Jan 2019

Stupid isn't a legal argument, especially when you're notified that it's harming your credibility with the judge.

This is how media journalists should frame such childish behavior too.

 

lancelyons

(988 posts)
4. The fact that these attorneys representing a russian company and oligarch and putin buddy would slan
Mon Jan 7, 2019, 06:51 PM
Jan 2019

The fact that these attorneys representing a russian company and oligarch and putin buddy would slander the DOJ and Special Counsels office is crazy. the fact that Russia and russians would have equal standing in our courts to even put up this defense is crazy.

EndGOPPropaganda

(1,117 posts)
10. Fact that Dubelier's law firm, Reed Smith, would tolerate this is crazy
Mon Jan 7, 2019, 07:25 PM
Jan 2019

Money money money
Money money money

Reed Smith is not making themselves look good here. Just making themselves look greedy— and traitorous.

madville

(7,408 posts)
22. They are entitled to mount an effective defense
Tue Jan 8, 2019, 02:43 PM
Jan 2019

See the evidence against them and have competent representation. That's what our whole system is based on. I remember when it was reported that this was not ideal for Mueller's team, that the accused Russians actually hired a US law firm to represent them and show up for the initial hearing, it was unexpected. It forces the prosecution to share their evidence with the defense and the accused through discovery and I don't think they really want to do that.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
5. This is good for the defense
Mon Jan 7, 2019, 06:52 PM
Jan 2019

The defense now has a Sixth Amendment basis for appeal.

The "unbelievably bad defense lawyer" ploy can be strategic.

Takket

(21,549 posts)
17. Oh... you just inadvertently answered a question for me
Tue Jan 8, 2019, 12:05 AM
Jan 2019

“How the fuck does Rudy Giuliani still have a job after TWICE admitting on air his client committed a crime?”

Now I know

EndGOPPropaganda

(1,117 posts)
8. Eric Dubelier from Reed Smith LLP: takes money from Russia to attack America
Mon Jan 7, 2019, 07:22 PM
Jan 2019

Can the partners at Reed Smith be happy about their colleague making them look bad by selling America out to Putin for money?


https://www.democraticunderground.org/100211299138


Law firm page

https://www.reedsmith.com/en/professionals/d/dubelier-eric-a

EndGOPPropaganda

(1,117 posts)
23. Yes, but why is it socially acceptable to take their money
Tue Jan 8, 2019, 10:45 PM
Jan 2019

That's the problem.
We should heap scorn upon them for accepting money from Russia to attack America.

Just as we would have if during WWII, American law firms were taking money from Hirohito's cronies.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
24. Because legal defendants are entitled to representation by an attorney?
Tue Jan 8, 2019, 11:25 PM
Jan 2019

You either buy into that notion of procedural fairness or you don’t, I suppose. Rule of law and all that.

jmowreader

(50,543 posts)
12. It's very clear Trump fucked up in 2017
Mon Jan 7, 2019, 07:47 PM
Jan 2019

Dabney Friedrich is one of Trump's judicial appointees. She's made it clear on a couple of occasions she's not going to put up with Trump's shit.

The paragraph the Otter quote is in is even stranger...

In the Special Counsel’s secret pleading he concedes he took investigative action relating to information that was identical to that which Defendant provided to firewall counsel just seven days earlier. The Special Counsel states that he did not obtain the information from firewall counsel. The Special Counsel also states that if simply trusting him that everything is just peachy is not sufficient, he can tell more ex parte secrets to the Court to support his position. The Special Counsel’s argument is reminiscent of Otter’s famous line, “Flounder, you can’t spend your whole life worrying about your mistakes! You f**ked up . . . you trusted us. Hey, make the best of it.”


I've been reading a lot of court documents while studying sovereign citizen asshattery, and I don't think I've ever seen the term "just peachy" in one before. In fact, I've seen more cogent arguments in the "Coyote v. Acme" briefs they have new law students produce in their "Legal Writing 101" courses.

sharedvalues

(6,916 posts)
14. Putin's goal is to undermine our system, including judiciary
Mon Jan 7, 2019, 08:55 PM
Jan 2019

To create chaos.
To get lawyers writing insane things to normalize judicial insanity to make Americans distrust judges.

BigmanPigman

(51,581 posts)
16. Rachel Maddow devoted the first half of her show to this tonight.
Tue Jan 8, 2019, 12:00 AM
Jan 2019

Putin's chef won't be happy...tsk, tsk.

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