Well “tickle my ass with a feather” if Hammerman didn’t put the hammer down on Buddy Caldwell and the apparently illegal contracts he let to his political supporters like Allan “Show me the money” Kanner, who is evidently is sleeping while on tower in Judge Barbier’s courtroom. None of this is a particularly new topic for us as Slabbed has covered the MDL litigation as well as the crash and burn of Ex Rel Branch but the grandaddy of Buddy Caldwell blogging is over at the Hayride with my colleague Scott McKay. We’re gonna get to Scott in a second but first Hammerman:
Yeah Buddy, Allan Kanner got lucky alright and you need a seeing eye dog if you are paying an attorney $600.00 an hour to sleep on the job.
Scott McKay over at the Hayride broke the transcript. He also had this in a follow up post that nails it:
There is additional context to the Kanner-Barbier-Caldwell donnybrook. We’re told by a friend in the legal community that Kanner and Barbier hate each other. We’re also told that Kanner really is a good attorney, but that once that case went in front of Barbier it was suicide to have Kanner sitting at the attorneys’ table. So when the judge singles out Kanner for abuse from the bench that’s nothing less than a the judge taking a chance to stick a knife in a guy he can’t stand. Who’s our attorney, by the way, and a damn expensive one, at that.
So we’re shelling out $600 an hour for this train wreck. And here comes Caldwell, who, asked about Barbier dissing his lead hired-gun outside counsel attorney in the trial transcript, thinks it’s a good idea to trash the judge for his level of attention to the trial.
The Buddy system in action, ain’t it grand.
What a bombastic, pompous ass. Judge Barbier should rule Caldwell’s ass into court for contempt. Then, refer the thievery to the FBI.
We have a new leader in the clubhouse for Douchebag of the year……Its a very prestigious field this year (well, every year) but this one is right up there with the all time best…
Cheers to you Buddy. Keep being the biggest Douchebag you can be……you’ll be getting your prize, an all expense paid trip to Club Fed, very soon I hope….
Not an Allan Kanner fan personally but professionally he is a highly competent attorney. Now having said that and as much as I hate to say this David Hammer was set up on this story by either Mitch Landrieu or by someone the PSC. Wisner property issue that AZ has highlighted. Barbier hates Kanner but he hates him even more because he has been helping Stuart Smith in the litigation. Barbier hates Stuart Smith with a passion. $600 an hour for Kanner is not a bad price for someone with his experience in this type of litigation. He also represents several other states with the same type of fee arrangement (New Jersey & Pennsylvania for example).
I’m not a Allen Kanner fan at all–think he is a pompass ass but of all the things to call out Caldwell on this is small potatoes and is a political hit piece orchestrated by the Landrieu Administration.
No Justice:
I would say David Hammer wasn’t set up on this story by Landrieu or the PSC, several of whom have been the beneficiaries of similar AG contracts under Ieyoub, Foti and Caldwell.
AROD’s friend, J. Burton Guidry, has made some interesting comments on yesterday’s story from TheHayride. Check those out.
My vote would be PSC unless you can show me how Mitch benefits monetarily from throwing Kanner under the bus.
Trust me when I say this media thing can be a nasty cut throat business. It ain’t nothing compared to the cut throat sharks you’ll find on a PSC of a lawsuit this size.
Is it me or does the jockeying for $$$$ normally start later in the legal process?
The reporting and story is actually generated by Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch. Not many PSC members are friendly with them.
There’s something new today:
http://thehayride.com/2013/05/the-buddy-system-youve-got-to-pay-to-play/
There’s another article on TheHayride today. It seems to unintentionally reveal a new victory for the contract attorneys. There is a link to a transcript from a hearing before Judge Wilson Fields. Read from page 14 to the point where Wade Shows offers to prepare an order to reflect the court’s decision.
Regarding million dollar legal contracts to large campaign contributors one needs to use giant worms to catch the big Buddy bass.
If any of you saw and listened to Caldwell’s presentation on last night’s evening news, or looked at and listened to the video presented here, I submit that the guy just comes across as CROOKED and DISHONEST. I don’t believe anything that comes out of his mouth. In the KATRINA litigation, when Caldwell BEAT that FRUIT Foti for Attorney General in the Fall 2007, I expected a breath of fresh air. All we got was MORE “how much you gonna contribute to my campaign?”. It took Caldwell until October 2008 to FIRE the likes of Duval’s “suck-buddy” Calvin Fayard from the previously “secret” representation of the State of Louisiana, a conflict of interests if there ever was one. Caldwell’s just another “It’s my turn to feed at the trought” Louisiana politician. SPIT on him and SPIT on those of his ilk. Ashton O’Dwyer.
As a follow up to 1 of your points above:
“It took Caldwell until October 2008 to FIRE the likes of Duval
Ashton, as long as you have been around & about, aren’t you “impressed” with the fact the recent spate of AGs have gone from being simple incompetents with some doling out of state money on make-do work, to outfront bagmen within their first terms of office?
To NAAS: In response to your last Comment: One would think that the newly-elected Attorney General of the State of Louseyanna would have had at his fingertips documentation from the Division of Administration of the very same State, and have known, by looking at the documents in his office when he took office (actually sworn in @ late January or early February 2008), which had been executed by his predecessor (Foti the FRUIT), whether the “contracts” with the likes of Calvin Fayard were legal or not. So I don’t buy at all the notion that “Buddy just needed 9 or 10 months to research the situation.” The lawyers representing “Victims of KATRINA” needed to SUE the State of Louseyanna, like I did, but Fayard and his ilk (who were handed control and management of the litigation by the presiding Federal Judge, Duval-Daley-Fayard) wouldn’t and couldn’t sue the State, because they were secretly representing the State (all with the knowledge and concurrence of the presiding Judge) prior to August 29, 2007, the second anniversary of KATRINA, and continued representing the State until finally fired by Caldwell in October 2008. By that time I had already been disbarred, with my arms and legs cut off and my genitalia stuffed down my mouth. Ashton O’Dwyer.
There you have it, Ashton, qui bono.
Alas, though, due to that piece of excrement known as Mike Foster and the people cutting their own throats by amendign Article 12 S 10 of the state constitution, even if the area sheeple did sue, our beloved state and local governments get to thumb the nose at the victims. Isn’t it nice to enjoy immunity from consequences of one’s “errors and omissions”?
Empire:
Did you get the following invitation about 3 years ago on May 5, 2010:
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ENJOY
WHAT MAY BE
“THE LAST LOUISIANA SEAFOOD SUPPER”
(Because of the BP Gulf Oil Pollution Disaster)
WHEN: IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE 5PM PLAINTIFFS’ ATTORNEY MEETING WED. MAY 5th
WHERE: 5809 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA.
Host Committee
Calvin Fayard
Bob Wright & Jim Roy
Russ Herman & Steve Herman
Danny Becnel
Jim Garner
Jon Andry
Glad Jones
Hunter & Matt Lundy
Mike Palmintier & John DeGravelles
Pat Morrow
Allan Kanner
Richard Arsenault
Stuart Smith
Gerald Maples & Wayne Mumphrey
Scott Bickford
Mike Veron/Rock Palermo
Joe Bruno
Paul Sterbcow
Based on that list of suspects, Not At All, no. The only one I’ve known was in opposition when one of that lot was carrying water for a refinery against a municipal incorporation, showing $ = strange bedfollows.
Sad, looking at the Hammer story, Hammer is giving us a choice between two competing gangs, the AG and his “friends & family plan” versus the Big Brother Lovin’ Tort Deform Tpes, and of course the proles are caught in the middle.
CITIZEN’S ARREST!!!!!
Louisiana Criminal Code provides that a private person may make an arrest when the person to be arrested has committed a felony, whether in or out of his presence, under circumstances similar to those which would allow a police officer to make an arrest.
There are no restrictions on this, and it is specifically provided for by law.
When a citizen’s arrest is made, it is the duty of the citizen to turn over the arrested person to the sheriff’s department as quickly as possible.
Holy Endearing Enemas Patricia,
If I was on your private citizen’s arrest list I’d nikey my bad butt to closest sheriff and seek protective custody.
I didn’t know where to post this. Picked this for some reason…
My question for auditor types: is there a technical term for a situation such as described in this story?
Stacey Pickering wins Patriot Award
This is the particular situation in search of a descriptive term. Pickering was nominated for the award by Susan Syverson, an investigator with the State Auditor