Ellen Nalfarinna, Julie Tate, Carol Leonning, "N.S.A. Broke Privacy Rules For 3 Years," The Washington Post, September 11, 2013, p. A1. ("... no one at [the N.S.A.] had a technical understanding of how their system worked." Reassuring.)
Salvador Rizzo, "High Court Will Decide Hot-Button Cases," The Star Ledger, September 9, 2013, p. 1. (Bidding war for N.J. justices' favors. What will it take for Mr. Rabner to deal with my hot-button issue? A little cash in an envelope, perhaps?)
Rachael Bildner, "Court Papers Show Montvale Bent the Rules," The Star Ledger, September 9, 2013, p. 13. (Town violates law to reward insiders, police chief and high ranking officers, at the expense of more deserving -- but less political -- "others.")
Richard Cowen, "Ex-Top Cop May Get a New Leadership Post Tonight: Passaic Mayor to Name Public Safety Director," The Record, September 10, 2013, p. L-1. (Mayor ALEX BLANCO will name RICHARD DIAZ, who was recently retired from the police at age 50, reportedly, to a new position as "Public Safety Director" for $65,000 per year in addition to his "pension" of $110,000 per year, potentially earning Mr. Diaz another pension after 5 years.)
Ben Protess, "Lawyers For Corzine Seek Cases Dismissals," The New York Times, September 11, 2013, p. B3. ("There is no evidence that Mr. Corzine knowingly directed unlawful conduct or acted without good faith." Over a period of years, in numerous transactions, Mr. Corzine "accidentally" protected his own assets by borrowing, "unintentionally," from client funds -- $1.8 BILLION -- and violating, but not on purpose, SEC rules and other federal statutes with the assistance of N.J. attorneys.)
Mathew McGrath, "Man Charged With Sexually Assaulting a Girl," The Record, September 11, 2013, p. L-3. (Teaneck man, Savan A. Dow, 20, assaulted a 12 year-old girl in America's child sex state. He was one of numerous persons recently charged for this offense.)
Jim Norman, "Lawsuit Claims Police Beat-Up Handcuffed Men: Surveillance Camera Captured Assault in Paterson, Lawyer Says," The Record, July 1, 2013, p. A-1. (New developments in this story and incidents throughout New Jersey are adding urgency to this crisis of police misconduct. Will we "stop and frisk" N.J. cops? Do New Jersey cops choke and assault persons rendered helpless by drugging and hypnosis? Terry Tuchin? "Terry Tuchin, Diana Lisa Riccioli, and New Jersey's Agency of Torture" and "An Open Letter to My Torturers in New Jersey, Terry Tuchin and Diana Lisa Riccioli.")
Jean Rimbach & Jeff Pillets, "Big Lawyers Play Role in Ferreiro Indictment: Only Former Bergen Democratic Leader is Charged," The Record, September 16, 2013, p. A-1. (Corrupt lawyers serving as bag men for Democratic bosses in New Jersey.)
Nicholas Confessore, "Donors' Funds Sidestep Law, Aiding Christie," The New York Times, September 18, 2013, p. A1. (N.J. lawyers "sidestep" law to bribe, allegedly, Republicans in New Jersey.)
New Jersey legal practice is heavily politicized -- far more than in any other state -- as is the so-called legal ethics system of that unfortunate jurisdiction.
New Jersey's ethics system is a byzantine, behind-the-back political process and secret network of "relationships" designed to accomplish some unofficial objectives: 1) damage radical lawyers or disfavored outsiders to this power structure who seek to reform any aspect of the system; while 2) protecting very serious and often lucrative unethical legal practices, or even the commission of crimes, by connected law firms and attorneys -- crimes that are usually intended to enrich politicians.
This criticism refers to politicians from both parties, even if Democrats aligned with organized crime "families" have usually been far worse than their colleagues from "across the aisle."
The irony in this situation is that the so-called "mob lawyers" and politicians' "bag men" are often the same attorneys serving on state and county ethics committees deciding whether their own crimes and unethical actions are acceptable. Mysteriously, their conduct is fine, only other attorneys are "unethical." ("Herbert Klitzner, Esq.'s Greed and New Jersey's Hypocrisy" then "New Jersey is the Home of the Living Dead" and "New Jersey's Politically-Connected Lawyers On the Tit.")
New Jersey's Supreme Court justices may be sanctioned for ethics violations as a result of secret, behind-the-scenes activities by colleagues; a Chief Justice may be sexually involved with another woman linked to organized crime, allegedly, who was illegally listed as a therapist at the same time as she was interested in a matter where the Chief Justice served as decision-maker; while another Chief Justice is accused of accepting a cash-in-an-envelope "consultation fee" from con man Solomon Dwek even as Chief Justice Rabner was, somehow, oblivious to the release of alleged mafia boss, Angelo ("The Horn") Prisco, on his watch, when he served as N.J. Attorney General. Dozens of others in the judiciary and elite bar positions -- as well as politics -- commit worse infractions as New Jersey attorneys while presuming to comment on the character and morals of their intellectual and professional superiors. ("Does Senator Menendez have mafia friends?" and "Stuart Rabner and Conduct Unbecoming to the Judiciary in New Jersey" then "Deborah T. Poritz and Conduct Unbecoming to the Judiciary in New Jersey" and "Law and Ethics in the Soprano State" and "Neil M. Cohen, Esq. and Conduct Unbecoming to the Legislature in New Jersey" and "Eric Wisler, Esq. is an Ethical New Jersey Attorney" and "Joe Ferreiro is Bergen's Godfather.")
"A review of the federal indictment of Joseph A. Ferreiro and other records shows that three leaders of two top law firms in New Jersey figure prominently in the government's case against the former Chairman of Bergen County's Democratic Party, who is accused of using his power to profit from a string of bribery, extortion and kickback schemes."
The attorneys involved -- except for Mr. Ferreiro, who is a FORMER lawyer -- include Mr. Robert DeCotiis, Mr. Donald Scarinsci (a so-called Bob Menendez "flunky" and alter ego who has "accepted" donations and "payments" on behalf of Senator Menendez), Mr. Kenneth Hollenbeck, and the deceased Mr. Eric Wisler ("You won't see him no more!"), as well as the shadowy, Mr. Dennis Oury. ("Take the canolis.")
None of the attorneys who facilitated and profited from Mr. Ferreiro's scams, usually at the expense of their ostensible clients and for the benefit of their political friends, will be indicted or face any ethics charges as of this writing. ("Mafia Influence in New Jersey Courts and Politics.")
To my knowledge, none of these lawyers, aside from the deceased Mr. Wisler, is facing an Office of Attorney Ethics (OAE) investigation that may, at some future point, lead to charges or grievances or sanctions. Perhaps some of them will soon become New Jersey judges? ("New Jersey's Judges Disgrace America.")
By publicizing this matter of mutual backscratching, hypocrisy, double standards, frauds and bogus, pompous and moronic self-justifying "false piety," it is at least possible that someone in Trenton will take action. ("Corrupt Law Firms, Senator Bob, and New Jersey Ethics" and "John McGill, Esq., the OAE, and New Jersey Corruption.")
Legal ethics sanctions against "attorneys number 1, 2, and 3" (to quote the indictment) are unlikely in New Jersey, unless they come from outside the state. The picture of a legal culture of repellent greed, selfishness, theft, lies, cover-ups, rationalizations is difficult to deny or ignore:
"According to the indictment, DeCotiis recommended to his client, that it pay, both to [bribe] Ferreiro and those under his sway [like DeCotiis himself?] from opposing Mills' bid to secure Ferreiro's help in winning public and official support." (emphasis added!)
Conflict of interest? Apparently, this conduct is fine with the OAE. ("New Jersey's 'Ethical' Legal System" and "Sexual Favors For New Jersey Judges" then "New Jersey Supreme Court's Implosion.")
Are Republicans in New Jersey better than Democrats? Yes, but the "culture of corruption," to quote Mr. Christie, is spreading:
"Joshua Hendle, a spokesman for One New Jersey, declined to comment on the group's donors, or to say whether any of them had contacts with state agencies or authorities covered by the pay-to-play rules." (Times.)
Ironically, for Mr. Christie:
"All-told at least 15 New Jersey donations to the [Republican] Governors' Association [-- donations that make their way to Mr. Christie, eventually --] this year have come from people or companies covered by the state's pay-to-play rules, including several who also backed Reform Jersey Now. Some had never given to the R.G.A. before." (Times.)
Wayne J. Politan, Esq., Republican "bag man," as it were, is senior partner in a firm that has earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in state work only since Mr. Christie took office. ("New Jersey's Legal System is a Whore House" and "New Jersey's Feces-Covered Supreme Court.")
Will Mr. Politan show his gratitude to the governor by "attending further fundraisers" or even with the occasional cash-in-an envelope "contribution"? ("Christie Rails Against New Jersey's Corrupt Judiciary" and "New Jersey's Disgraced Judges.")
Do you speak to me of ethics in New Jersey's legal world? ("New Jersey's Failed Judiciary.")
