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Public Defender For Billionaire Stanford
Zachary Roth | September 15, 2009, 4:59PM
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Billionaire banker Allen Stanford will have to settle for a public defender to represent him on charges that he orchestrated a massive financial fraud.
Stanford's assets have been frozen, leaving him with no money to pay Dick DeGuerin, the high-powered defense attorney he's been working with of late. With no guarantee of payment, DeGuerin formally withdrew, and U.S. District Judge David Hittner asked the head of the federal public defender office in Houston to take over, reports the Houston Chronicle.
A high-profile private defense lawyer, Kent Schaffer, is expected to be added to the case as well. Schaffer has represented former congressman Craig Washington, author Clifford Irving and the late Houston Astros star Ken Caminiti.
The Chronicle adds:
As DeGuerin left the courtroom, having represented Stanford for months and never been paid, he wished his former client good luck.
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ohyeathatsright
September 15, 2009 5:48 PM
I wonder with what intonation that "good luck" was wished.
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hawaiian
September 15, 2009 10:48 PM
TPM you are Racist!!
If you cared about what was happening in the black community you would cover what is happening with ACORN. This is billions of dollars that are being drained out for what???
Not to better black folks.
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Xantar
September 16, 2009 11:33 AM in reply to hawaiian
Can we just ban the single issue troll now?
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GTFOOH
September 16, 2009 9:52 AM
Sweet irony
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neesy08
September 16, 2009 12:14 PM
Let me see if I understand this right: Standford has to use taxpayer money to defend himself whole Madoff sed money from the ponzi scheme to defend himself?
The taxpayer is beind duped again!
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Xantar
September 16, 2009 1:18 PM in reply to neesy08
I have to disagree. Every person deserves to be represented by an attorney, and if that attorney is paid for by my tax dollars, then so be it. I've met a lot of public defenders, and they aren't paid nearly enough for what they do and what they put up with.
It's a shame that Madoff is using proceeds from his Ponzi scheme to defend himself, but that means Madoff's victims are being unfortunately duped again. I feel no outrage on behalf of taxpayers over the matter.
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ScottW
September 16, 2009 4:54 PM in reply to Xantar
A high-profile private defense lawyer, Kent Schaffer, is expected to be added to the case as well.
Are we paying for a public defender or a private defense lawyer or both ?
I agree, everyone deserves(needs) an attorney, but is he getting what I would get, or what a rich guy gets that can not afford Dick DeGuerin. I have a very hard time believing Stanford isn't getting special representation at our expense.
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