Note to you corporate in-house counsel: Don’t stash your illegal drugs in a safe underneath your desk. Just ask David Baer, the former corporate counsel for Tom Petters. Last year Petters was convicted for fraud, money laundering and conspiracy charges. See here.
That's nice, but what does that have to do with drugs? When the FBI raided the Petters corporate offices they also found cocaine, ecstasy and methamphetamines under Baer's desk. See here.
Hey, you know, life as a corporate attorney can be rather stressful. Some lawyers just like to keep a bottle of scotch in their drawer. But when the corporation is involved in fraud and money laundering then the stress level goes way up. When that happens, it’s good to have the extra strong stuff on hand, like a little coke and meth. But don’t keep it under your desk. Apparently that’s one of the first places the authorities look.
Baer was recently charged with three felony drug possession charges. As Thanksgiving approaches, be thankful you aren’t addicted to illegal substances.
Today we take a break from discussing substance abuse in the legal profession to honor the brave men and women serving in the United States Marine Corps. My service in the Marines included a stint as Director of a division Substance Abuse Counseling Center. That's where my involvement with the prevention of substance abuse began.
On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress approved a resolution calling for the raising of two battalions of Marines to fight for independence at sea and on shore. Samuel Nicholas became the first Commandant of the newly formed Marines, and recruiting commenced at Tun Tavern, Philadelphia – the birthplace of the United States Marine Corps. Each year, Marines proudly celebrate November 10th as the birthday of the Corps by honoring those Marines who have come before them. This year, the Marine Corps is paying special tribute to the Marines who served in the Korean War. So will we.
The photograph shown here is that of Marine First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez leading his Marines into action. On September 14, 1950, elements of the First Marine Division conducted a daring amphibious landing 100 miles behind enemy lines at Inchon. Lieutenant Lopez was the first man to scale the 10-ft seawall.
During the subsequent battle, Lieutenant Lopez was shot in the shoulder just as he prepared to throw a grenade. He died while smothering the grenade with his own body, thereby saving the lives of the Marines around him. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. A war correspondent said that Lieutenant Lopez “died with the courage that makes men great.”
After Inchon, the Marines fought their way to Seoul in 10 days. Later in the war, the First Marine Division defeated numerous Chinese divisions at Chosin Reservoir despite being outnumbered 8 to 1. The worst weather in 50 years cut off air support and assaulted the Marines with snow, wind and temperatures of -40 degrees F. Even so, the "Chosin Few," as they would come to be called, decimated 10 Chinese infantry divisions and fought their way back to the sea to rejoin the American forces.
Today, Marines continue to serve in the brave tradition of Lieutenant Lopez and the Chosin Few. November 10, 2010: The 235th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Happy Birthday Marines, and Happy Veterans Day to all who have served. Semper Fidelis.
In between his gig of providing legal advice to the California cities of Chino and Rialto, City Attorney Jimmy Gutierrez managed to get arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Last month, Gutierrez must have had too much wine and stayed out too late on a Friday night. He was arrested by California Highway Patrol just before 2:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning.
CHP officers noticed Gutierrez swerving on the freeway (that’s state highway for you East Coast readers) and stopped him. Gutierrez refused a field sobriety test but asked to provide a blood sample instead. He was taken into custody and released at 1:00 p.m. that afternoon.
An attorney from Georgia has been busted for trying to sell prescription drugs. The story is here.
Mark Shelnutt, from Columbus, was arrested on eight counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance. Shelnutt tried to sell Oxycodone, Xanax and Hydrocodone.
Oxycodone is in a group of drugs called narcotic pain relievers. It is similar to morphine. Xanax is in a group of drugs called benzodiazepines. It is used in the treatment of anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and anxiety caused by depression. Hydrocodone is a Schedule III controlled substance, and the generic name for Vicodin.
When people become addicted to illegal substances, bad things are usually the result. There is the possibility of police involvement leading to arrest and conviction. Addiction problems affect work performance, and if the addict is an attorney, then clients may suffer. Attorney misconduct as a result of illegal drug use therefore often results in disbarment. Such is the case with Stephen Compton.
Compton’s license to practice law was recently suspended for two years. The story is here. Compton is a Wisconsin attorney from Walworth County who pled guilty last year to felony charges of possession of narcotics and bail jumping. He was sentenced to three years probation, but that did not prevent the state supreme court for suspending his license.
When you fall asleep in your car in Pahrump, Nevada, make sure it is not within the watchful eyes of former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss. Two years ago, Fleiss was prosecuted by the Nye County District Attorney’s office for being under the influence of drugs. Now Fleiss returned the favor by tipping off police about a suspicious car parked along her secluded block. The car belonged to Nye County District Attorney Bob Beckett, who was passed out in the front seat. Here is the story from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
After being roused from his slumber, Beckett failed a field sobriety test and was arrested. A breath test recorded a blood-alcohol level of 0.12 percent, which is above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Sadly, Beckett was already on probation for an alcohol related driving incident in 2008, which occurred in California. Under the terms of that earlier probation, Beckett is prohibited from operating a motor vehicle with alcohol in his system. What will happen to him now? We will have to wait and see.
What’s with attorneys smuggling heroin into prison? (See last post). According to Heraldnet.com, a Washington attorney was arrested for trying to smuggle heroin into a county jail. Why? Because he himself was addicted to smack, and he was able to keep a cut for his own personal use.
The 63 year old attorney is said to have become addicted to prescription pain killers, and then heroin. He somehow worked out a deal with prisoners to bring them dope as long as he could keep a portion for his own use. Before his arrest he resigned as a result of misconduct.
Heroin is highly addictive. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, and by changes in the brain. Heroin has increased in purity and decreased in price. Afterall, even prisoners can afford it.
For more info on heroin use and addiction, click here.
