NCJ Number
161620
Journal
New Yorker Volume: 72 Issue: 22 Dated: (July 31, 1995) Pages: 30-34
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
In June 1995, the Miami U.S. Attorney's Office unsealed a massive racketeering indictment that illustrated how high the stakes have become for lawyers in drug cases.
Abstract
The indictment describes in detail the activities not only of reputed members of Colombia's Cali Cartel but also of six American lawyers. The lawyers are alleged to have engaged in several illegal acts, such as preparing false affidavits and trying to discourage arrested cartel members from cooperating with the government. Although the indictment is one of the toughest attacks on alleged lawyer misconduct in history, the U.S. Attorney's Office seems to have been unprepared for the indignation of members of the defense bar who claim the indictment is an attempt to intimidate lawyers who defend drug suspects. Further, they question the constitutionality of the government's practice of issuing subpoenas to lawyers in drug cases for information about the payment of legal fees, information that might be used to incriminate clients. If the case is successfully prosecuted, the "boom times" may have ended for most Miami attorneys who specialize in defending drug traffickers.