Md. Lawyers in 2 Cases Testify re Attorney Witness-Tampering Claims
In an unusual situation that attracted both prosecutors and defense lawyers as courtroom spectators, veteran criminal defense lawyers in two separate cases in Baltimore were asked to explain themselves in court last week concerning their interactions with witnesses.
The two attorneys said they had done nothing wrong, and claims that they may have interfered with witnesses are informal and unproven, according to the Baltimore Sun. However, both prosecutors and the defense bar are concerned, with members of each side saying that the opposing group may have gone beyond their proper role.
“Several seasoned city prosecutors interviewed this week said the majority of defense attorneys closely adhere to the rules of ethics. But they said that, even apart from the two trials this week, other recent court proceedings have been hampered by whole groups of witnesses suddenly showing up at the defendants’ attorneys’ offices to sign affidavits recanting their earlier statements to police,” the newspaper writes.
A lawyer on the opposing side, though, sees the situation differently. Prosecutors complaining about the way defense lawyers represent their clients “need to shut up,” says attorney Warren Brown, one of a number of defense lawyers who attended a hearing at which veteran defense lawyer Leslie Stein testified.
“They live in glass houses. Prosecutors, police, defense attorneys, even sometimes judges, all have an objective,” Brown says. “Everybody, at times in the midst of the emotional practice of criminal law, finds themselves engaged in practices that somebody could complain about.”
Additional coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Jury to Decide if Md. Defense Attorney Tried to Get Witness to Change Story”
Baltimore Sun: “Witness claims defense lawyer threatened him”
Baltimore Sun: “Stein rebuts allegations”
