EL CHAPO REQUESTS TO DROP HIS LEAD ATTORNEY (CNN) – The lead attorney for drug lord “El Chapo” is out. A judge approved the request to remove Eduardo Balarezo. He served as El Chapo’s lead attorney during his nearly three-month long trial. Balarezo says it was a mutual decision. Guzman, once the leader of a murderous drug cartel in Mexico, was convicted in February of running a continuing criminal enterprise and other drug-related charges. He’s expected to be sentenced on June 25 but Guzman’s attorneys are asking a judge to grant them a new trial because of what they call juror misconduct. … [Read more...] about El Chapo Requests To Drop Lead Attorney
Lead attorney
Harvey Weinstein’s Lead Attorney in NYC Criminal Case Wants Out: Source
The lead attorney in Harvey Weinstein's criminal case in New York wants out, a source with direct knowledge of the matter tells News 4. The source said Monday that Benjamin Brafman, the noted Manhattan criminal defense attorney who has represented high-profile players from Dominique Strauss-Kahn to ex-pharma exec Martin Shkreli, would be asking Judge James Burke for permission to withdraw as Weinstein's attorney. Details on the reasoning -- and Weinstein's possible reaction -- were unclear. Brafman declined comment when reached by News 4 Monday morning. His reported self-ouster comes weeks after Burke denied a motion to dismiss Weinstein's criminal case, setting aside defense contentions that alleged improper police conduct in the investigation that led to the arrest should negate the indictment. Burke's ruling buoyed a prosecution that has appeared on rocky ground in recent months amid a prolonged defense effort to raise doubts about the case and the police … [Read more...] about Harvey Weinstein’s Lead Attorney in NYC Criminal Case Wants Out: Source
William Barr emerges as leading attorney general candidate in Trump discussions
Even if Barr were announced as the president's choice this week, it could take months for a confirmation vote, given the congressional schedule. In the meantime, acting attorney general Matthew Whitaker would still serve as head of the Justice Department - a decision that has angered Democrats who question both his resume and the legal justification for his ascension to that job, given that he was not serving in a Senate-confirmed position when Trump selected him as the temporary successor to Jeff Sessions, whomTrump forced out in early November after the midterm elections. … [Read more...] about William Barr emerges as leading attorney general candidate in Trump discussions
William Barr is Donald Trump’s leading attorney general candidate
William Cummings and Kevin Johnson and David Jackson USA TODAY Published 2:29 PM EST Dec 6, 2018 WASHINGTON – William Barr, who served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, may soon be returning to the role. Barr is a leading candidate to become President Donald Trump's replacement for ousted Attorney General Jeff Sessions, two administration officials and a person familiar with the discussion told USA TODAY on Thursday. They cautioned that no final personnel decisions have been made, but it's possible such an announcement could come in a matter of days. According to The Washington Post, which first reported the story, administration officials expect Republicans and Democrats to be comfortable with Barr because of his experience. Trump's interim replacement for Sessions, Matthew Whitaker, has been denounced as unqualified and his appointment has been called unconstitutional by Democrats and some of the president's … [Read more...] about William Barr is Donald Trump’s leading attorney general candidate
Former Trump Lead Attorney Michael Cohen Pleads Guilty To Lying To Congress Charges
A Washington Post report says President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty Thursday to lying to Congress about a Moscow real estate project Trump pursued during the months he was running for president, according to the Associated Press.As Trump’s campaign began to gain traction in 2015, the report said, Cohen acted as the president’s point man in his attempt to built a Trump-branded development in Moscow. However, as the project stalled in January 2016, the Post reported, Cohen emailed a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin to ask for help. He told Congress he never received a response and work on the project was halted. In August, Cohen, 52, pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations related to payments before the election to two women who had alleged they had affairs with Trump, the report said. He admitted to the court he had arranged those payments, designed to keep the women quiet before the presidential vote, at the … [Read more...] about Former Trump Lead Attorney Michael Cohen Pleads Guilty To Lying To Congress Charges