In the world of high finance the adage bulls make money, bears make money and pigs get slaughtered applies here folks. Thomas Porteous’ sin wasn’t that his behavior was all that unusual for the local bench, which is pretty damn corrupt. Rather the fact that he was so out front with his hoggish behavior, which in turn made him a far easier mark for less than ethical lawyers like Dick Chopin who showered the judge with free gifts, trips and the like in exchange for favorable rulings in cases they had before him is what landed him in Edith Jones bad graces over at the Federal 5th Circuit.
There has been great disagreement in the Slabbed Nation about the effectiveness of Jonathan Turley’s representation of Porteous. Team Porteous was very happy with Turley in that he made sure lots of dirty laundry was aired but I think his defense, which seemed predicated on the notion that legal and judicial ethics are somehow different down here was soundly repudiated. To the extent there is no such thing as bad publicity Turley lives to fight another day while his client comes home a pariah in respectable legal circles.
There are literally almost 600 news stories and counting from across the globe on the occasion of the 8th removal of a federal judge from the bench in this nation’s history. I’m going to focus in on three pieces.
Jesse Singal at the Boston Globe chimes in on the bankruptcy fraud count:
I couldn’t help but laugh at one of the accusations: that G.T. Porteous filed for bankruptcy under the false name “G.T. Ortous” (he claims it was to avoid embarrassment).
That’s not very smooth. It reminds me of a scene from back when “Family Guy” was good:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnjfPzCZ4Bg]
The Times Picayune has two new pieces on the Porteous debacle, the first one being a straight news story which recapped the events and reported on the aftermath of the votes on Team Porteous. Here is a snippet:
Porteous also said he was “thankful for the kind words of Sen. (Orrin) Hatch in his final statement” on the floor. Hatch, R-Utah, the vice chairman of the Senate Impeachment Committee, said that he felt sorry for Porteous and, “I hope he makes some changes in his life, for himself and his family.”
Bring up Orrin Hatch is music to my ears as we were the only media outlet that reported Hatch’s role in Porteous’ confirmation including the fundraiser held for Hatch in NOLA back when. Thomas Porteous’ unshareable needs (and those of his wife who also loved gambling) were well-known to all including Hatch as they were detailed in an FBI report which was conveniently ignored when Hatch and John Breaux shepherded Porteous through the confirmation process over a decade ago.
Finally we have today’s editorial over at the Times Picayune on the subject:
Mr. Porteous also said that he “felt it was important not just to me but to the judiciary to take this fight to the Senate.” That’s ridiculous. He was simply trying to hang on to the post until next year, when he would have been eligible to retire with a full pension for life.
Instead, Mr. Porteous joins three other former Louisiana state judges who went to prison or were removed from the bench for corruption uncovered by Operation Wrinkled Robe, the widespread probe of corruption at the Jefferson Parish courthouse.
With what we know about Wrinkled Robe today, it is clear that federal investigation did not go nearly far enough, as evidenced by continued problems and active federal investigations involving the 24th Judicial District courts and the NOLA criminal and civil district courts. So while Porteous’ removal may well close one sad chapter new ones are being written as we speak involving many of the same players such as soon to be indicted former Parish President Tim Coulon, a non lawyer who nonetheless was caught on tape in Wrinkled Robe actively lobbying a judge for mercy for one of his relatives who liked to molest children.
The money that makes the corruption possible does not respect Parish boundary so it comes as no surprise the sources of the systemic corruption in both Orleans and Jefferson Parish’s share common roots. Here at Slabbed we’ll be covering the next chapter in this saga as well and unlike traditional reporting which often treats these events as discrete occurences our reporting will continue to focus on the commonalities which define these scandals time and again. To paraphrase Ambrose Bierce and his devil’s dictionary, there certainly is nothing new under the sun but we’re going to make sure the old stuff is not forgotten. That way maybe we won’t be snookered again having the likes of a drunken compulsive gambler garnering a lifetime appointment to sit in judgement of others.
sop
Nicely done, very nicely done.
Amen, brother. I am growing weary (and angry) of the continuing corruption of our government. As a lawyer, I am particularly disgusted with the corruption of the judiciary. Just the same song, second verse, I am afraid.
Let’s face facts: Turley’s client went down in flames. This wasn’t even “close’, and “close” only counts in hand grenades and dancing. Turley discredited himself and the process by enabling “G.T. Ortous” to attempt to game the system, instead if resigning like a man. I hold Turley AND his client in CONTEMPT. And now to Duval-Daley-Fayard, who “the System” and “the Illuminati” are treating so very differently from “G.T. Ortous”. Another of Duval-Daley-Fayard’s acts of misconduct, which I aver rises to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors, is his November 2009 decision in the MRGO/Robinson case, in which he held that residents of the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish (but not New Orleans East – figure THAT one out) could recover against the Federal Government. This decision is incompatible with Duval-Daley-Fayard’s Outfall Canal decision in January 2008, in which he denied recovery against the Federal Government to the 400,000 to 500,000 people who live WEST of the Industrial Canal. Guess who represented the plaintiffs in the MRGO/Robinson case? You got it: His “close personal friend of long-standing” Calvin Fayard. Where is the U.S. Department of Justice? Where is the FBI? Where is the Fifth Circuit? Where is the Judicial Council? Where is the Eastern District Bench? Needless to say, this misconduct is “on top of” what I have reported in prior Comments. Ashton O’Dwyer.
Removal of Thomas Porteous does not helps
Coincidentally, today I received a “FUCK YOU” letter on behalf of the Fifth Circuit Judicial Council, to which I had appealed Edith Jones’ “FUCK YOU” dismissal of my latest Complaint of Judicial Misconduct against Duval-Daley-Fayard. You see, Jones effectively shut me down by requiring that I first obtain “leave” before filing any more Complaints of Judicial Misconduct. Has anyone ever heard of such nonsense? So when she dismissed my latest Complaint, and simultaneously said “leave to file DENIED”, I petitioned the Judicial Council for an appeal. This also has been thrown in the gutter, along with me, with a Pearl Harbor Day letter from a Deputy Clerk, which states: “Please be advised that thye Judicial Council has no basis on which to review Chief Judge Jones’ decision to deny you permission to file a further complaint.” THIS IS BULLSHIT, Boys and Girls. “G.T. Ortous” has been adjudged GUILTY after 8 years, but the Fifth Circuit and its Judicial Council won’t even consider allegations against Duval-Daley-Fayard that would make “G.T. Ortous” BLUSH. Does anyone know any National Journalist who might be interested in this story? Does anyone know how to E-mail the House “prosecutors”, such as Alan Shiff, or the House Counsel, Mr. Barron? Ashton O’Dwyer.