.
 | left: Brenda Morris for USA - Department of Justice Public Integrity Section right: Brendan V. Sullivan, Jr. for Ted Stevens - Williams & Connolly LLP Criminal Defense Trial Department |
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/washington/26stevens.html?scp=5&sq=brenda%20morris&st=cse
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/03/us/03stevens.html?scp=4&sq=brenda%20morris&st=cse
Mr. Sullivan, a well-known defense lawyer, opened the day with a theatrical protest, throwing down papers at the lectern, saying that in his 40 years of practice he had never encountered such blatant government ineptitude.
Mr. Sullivan’s argument was that had he known of the agent’s report, it would have fundamentally altered his approach and would have figured in his opening statement. It could buttress the principal defense argument that Mr. Stevens had always fully intended to pay any bills for home renovation and thus did not conceal any gifts.
Ms. Morris, the chief prosecutor, apologized profusely in the morning for what she called “a serious mistake.” But by the afternoon hearing, she argued vigorously that the failure to disclose the document had no significant effect because the government had provided other reports saying the same thing.
Underlying the dispute is the 1963 Supreme Court ruling Brady v. Maryland, which requires prosecutors to give a defendant all information it holds that might materially help the defense.
“The government is the gatekeeper of information to the defense” was the way Judge Sullivan put it Thursday in berating Ms. Morris. “This is not a trial by any means.”
Ms. Morris said she was “trying to come before you as humbly as I can,” while insisting that “there is no harm here.”
Ms. Morris and Mr. Sullivan traded several turns at the lectern as the arguments swiftly escalated. Mr. Sullivan, who cited his years of practice nearly a dozen times, at one point seemed to question the good faith of the prosecution. Ms. Morris got up from her seat suddenly and challenged him.
“He called me out, Judge,” she said when Judge Sullivan tried to cool things. “I hear a lot of noise coming from Mr. Sullivan.”
Adjunct Professor of Law; Principal Deputy Chief, Public Integrity Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice
B.S., University of Southern California; J.D., Howard University
Address: |
600 New Jersey Avenue N.W. |
Biography
B.S., University of Southern California; J.D., Howard University. Brenda Morris joined the Public Integrity Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice in September 1991. After working for twelve years as a Trial Attorney with the Public Integrity Section, she was promoted in March 2004 to Deputy Chief for Litigation.
In August 2006, Professor Morris was promoted to the position of Principal Deputy Chief. Her staff consists of 30 attorneys and 11 support staff. The Public Integrity Section is a distinctive unit within the Criminal Division which is responsible for the nationwide investigations and prosecutions of corrupt federal employees. As a Trial Attorney, Professor Morris investigated white-collar cases ranging from federal conflict of interest crimes to conspiracy to commit bribery of public officials. Professor Morris has conducted federal trials across the country which ranged from perjury committed by a Border Patrol Agent in Tucson, Arizona, to witness tampering and obstruction of justice in Key West, Florida.
As Deputy Chief for Litigation, Professor Morris was responsible for the daily supervision of the Section’s attorneys on all aspects of their complex litigations and trials. As Principal Deputy Chief, Professor Morris continues to supervise all cases in the Section and she spearheads investigations ranging from the Abramoff corruption scandal to corruption matters involving the theft of millions of dollars meant for the Iraqi reconstruction.
Professor Morris is a career prosecutor who began as a Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorneys Office under Robert Morgenthau. Her experience in New York proved to be fertile training ground where Professor Morris honed her skills as a trial attorney by successfully prosecuting hundreds of street crimes and winning over forty trial victories. As part of her federal service, Professor Morris has been selected to instruct on white-collar statutes, including conflict of interest, and investigative techniques to international audiences consisting of prosecutors and law enforcement in Katmandu, Nepal; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Bucharest, Romania.
In April 2007, Professor Morris was chosen to represent the Department of Justice at the Global Forum V held in Johnanasburg, South Africa. Professor Morris has also instructed other federal prosecutors and federal agents on the federal criminal conflict of interest laws at various United States Attorneys Offices, Offices of Inspector General Offices, as well as the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick, Georgia.
Professor Morris is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center located in Washington, DC, currently teaching a course on public corruption. Professor Morris is a native Washingtonian who received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, and her Juris Doctorate from Howard University Law School.
.
"If there was a movie made about this trial, you’d have to say that of all the people involved, Brenda Morris is the one individual most likely to play herself. The trial’s lead prosecutor boasts a strong voice that belies her short stature. " ... "Morris is a feisty woman who displays her aggressiveness to good effect." -- Alaska Political Corruption Blog |  |
 |
October 17, 2008, 6:03 pm
Senator Stevens to Prosecutor: “There Are No Gifts There Ma’am” -- WSJ Law Blog |
Brendan V. Sullivan, Jr.
Craig Singer
Robert Madison Cary
Alex Romain
Beth Stewart
Cary is smooth and effective, and he often makes arguments to the court while Sullivan saves himself for the biggest moments like opening statement and cross-examination of Bill Allen. Romain has handled much of the discussions surrounding pre-trial discovery, as well as some cross-examinations, and his status as African-American was noted in the press when he joined the Stevens defense team.
Perhaps the most surprising of the defense attorneys has been Beth Stewart, who has done some stylishly effective cross-examinations. Only three years out of law school, Stewart also stands out in the courtroom because she is often the tallest person there. Keep an eye on her.
Two other lawyers are shown as attorneys for Stevens. Joseph Terry was added to the defense team only last week. Craig Singer is a former U.S. Supreme Court clerk who appears to spearhead the paper blizzard for the defense team, and so far his speaking in court is restricted to talking to the judge about jury instructions. Williams & Connolly is famous for clear, tough, and effective prose that can be understood easily by laymen as well as judges."
"They have a saying in their house that when it comes to things in and around the teepee, the wife controls," defense attorney Brendan Sullivan told jurors early in the trial. | |
Oct 14, 2008 The Associated Press (256 occurrences) | |
"You cannot report what you don't know," Sullivan said. "You can't fill out a form and say what's been kept to you by the deviousness of someone like Bill Allen." | |
Sep 25, 2008 The Associated Press (280 occurrences) | |
"If
you hear evidence that he assisted Bill Allen or VECO in any way so
those 4,000 employees could continue to work, they're right," Sullivan said. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. He's proud of it. Bring it on." | |
Sep 25, 2008 The Associated Press (118 occurrences) | |
"The
evidence will demonstrate that you are dealing here with a man who is
honest and would not have intentionally violated the law," Stevens's lawyer, Brendan Sullivan, said in his opening statement in US District Court. | |
Sep 25, 2008 Washington Post (5 occurrences) | |
"The evidence will show he didn't want these things, he didn't ask for these things," Sullivan said of some of the renovations. | |
Sep 25, 2008 United Press International (4 occurrences) | |
"When you see the evidence ...... you'll see he had no intent to violate the law, no intent to conceal anything," Sullivan said. "He didn't want these things, he didn't ask for these things. He told some of them to take them back. He never..." | |
Sep 25, 2008 The Miami Herald (33 occurrences) | |
"These materials [withheld by prosecutors in violation of Brady rule] to me represent the last straw in the process," Sullivan said. "This, the integrity of this process, has been breached. It must stop." | |
Oct 2, 2008 The Hill (2 occurrences) | |
"He [Judge Emmet Sullivan] was so distressed at what he saw [an attorney for VECO signaling to prosecution witness Bill Allen] that he got up and signaled one of our young lawyers to mention what had happened," Brendan Sullivan said. | |
Oct 7, 2008 The Miami Herald (28 occurrences) | |
"I can't do my duty to defend my client if the government does not abide by the instructions," Sullivan said. | |
Oct 2, 2008 The Miami Herald (43 occurrences) | |
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ie=UTF-8&qsid=AotoutHhldEuAM
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iY0MYgJE_BoX5-HUjvnt-CtbaJpQD93AAOR00
Key players in the trial of Sen. Ted Stevens
A look at the key players in the trial of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska. Jury selection begins Monday:
THE DEFENSE
TED STEVENS: At 84, Stevens is the Senate's longest-serving Republican and long has been Alaska's political patriarch. He is charged with lying about more than $250,000 in gifts and home renovations he received from corrupt oil field services contractor Bill Allen. He faces five years in prison on each of seven counts. Stevens steadfastly maintains his innocence and asked for a speedy trial in hopes of being vindicated before Election Day, which is Nov. 4.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN: Sullivan is among the best and most respected trial lawyers in the country. He has represented several political figures in corruption scandals and, when 18 states decided to sue Microsoft for antitrust violations, they tapped Sullivan as their lawyer. He is perhaps most famous for representing Oliver North in the Iran-Contra scandal. During a congressional hearing, when a senator pressed him to stop objecting on North's behalf, Sullivan famously quipped: "Well sir, I'm not a potted plant. I'm here as the lawyer. That's my job."
THE GOVERNMENT
BRENDA MORRIS: A longtime prosecutor with the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, Morris now serves as its principal deputy. She has helped supervise the investigation into disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and has prosecuted corruption cases around the country. She teaches corruption investigations within the Justice Department and is a professor at Georgetown Law School.
NICHOLAS MARSH: One of two Public Integrity trial attorneys on the case, Marsh handled much of the courtroom work during the trials of Alaska lawmakers caught up in the scandal. He has been part of numerous other public corruption investigations, including a scheme in Mississippi to defraud a $400 billion fen-phen settlement.
EDWARD SULLIVAN: The other Public Integrity trial attorney in the case, Sullivan has been part of the trial team that won convictions of several Alaska lawmakers caught up in the corruption scandal. The Public Integrity team is also joined by two federal prosecutors from Alaska, James Goeke and Joseph Bottini.
THE JUDGE:
EMMET G. SULLIVAN: A longtime judge in federal and municipal courtrooms, Sullivan has been named to the bench by presidents of both parties. President Reagan named him to Washington's Superior Court in 1991. The first President Bush appointed him to the city's appeals court in 1991. President Clinton named him to the federal bench in 1994.
THE KEY WITNESS:
BILL ALLEN: Allen is the founder of VECO Corp., the once-powerful Alaska oil services company that is now owned by Denver-based CH2M Hill. Allen has pleaded guilty, admitting that he and his vice president, Rick Smith, bribed state lawmakers to push for oil-friendly legislation. [NOTE: Allen's conviction for criminal bribes is pending sentencing, and his cooperation with U.S. investigations, including Steven's affects his financial position on the proceeds of his sale of his company and may have some effect on his sentencing outcome.] Allen and Stevens were friends, and Allen is expected to testify that he provided numerous favors for Stevens. Allen has suffered from speech problems since a 2001 motorcycle accident and, in previous court appearances, has sometimes appeared slow to understand and answer questions.
/
 |
 |
