Fortenberry’s trial lawyer might face self-discipline

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – One among former Congressman Jeff Fortenberry’s trial attorneys may very well be dealing with self-discipline.

Within the background subsequent to Fortenberry and his spouse is John Littrell, one in every of his trial attorneys.

Littrell, based on his firm’s web site, makes a speciality of white-collar protection representing purchasers from everywhere in the world. He’s the Los Angeles lawyer who has now been ordered by a choose to clarify why he did what he did earlier than the Fortenberry jury in March.

Whereas within the Los Angeles courtroom John Littrell gave closing arguments within the trial over whether or not Fortenberry lied to the FBI over unlawful marketing campaign contributions.

Bear in mind, Fortenberry didn’t testify which is his constitutional proper and the choose instructed the jury that they had been to not learn something into the choice.

However then protection lawyer John Littrell instructed the jury that in a method, Fortenberry actually did testify as a result of they heard his voice by way of the audio recordings performed throughout six days of trial and that his consumer wouldn’t have added something if he did testify as a result of his reminiscence wasn’t any higher at this time.

That’s when the federal government objected.

Now federal Decide Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. desires Fortenberry’s lawyer to clarify himself by the tip of the week.

The choose mentioned John Littrell “made a calculated determination to cross the road” by speaking about why Fortenberry didn’t testify saying it’s an “elementary precept of regulation” which you could’t speak about it to the jury in closing arguments, particularly when it wasn’t proof and the federal government wouldn’t have an opportunity to reply.

The choose went on to say that since John Littrell believed it to be “a good remark” telling the choose that “affordable minds can disagree” he’s involved the lawyer could use the argument once more in one other case and that’s why he questions whether or not Littrell needs to be sanctioned or referred to a self-discipline committee.

It’s not clear how this impacts the case shifting ahead since Fortenberry has a number of different attorneys and one in every of them filed an attraction.

Fortenberry believes he was a sufferer of a authorities setup.

For the conviction, he might have gotten 15 years in federal jail however the identical choose sentenced him to probation as an alternative.

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