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Jeffrey Lichtman; Sarma Melngailis
This is not often the trial of a pillar of the drug – what are the TV movies made – that makes the difference, but not through the accused, but to because of the alleged alliances of his lawyer.
But that is exactly what happened in the trial of the Mexican drug lord. Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who was extradited to the United States in 2017 to face charges of leading the Sinaloa cartel, become the main supplier of cocaine and other drugs In the United States
Hundreds of text messages as the New York Post says purportedly show scorching exchanges between the lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, and a former client, restaurateur Sarma Melngailis. She made the headlines herself after being convicted in 2017 of having swindled investors into her restaurant, as well as employees, over a million dollars. She spent a little less than four months in prison
Licthman's texts to her client were more than seductive. The married lawyer told him what he thought by looking at his pictures, and even looking at her in court.
"Do you want to belong to me? Will it be okay if some days, I only use your body … ", he writes in one text.
In another, he writes:" You look so pretty on this photo that I would like to dirty you. Is it too bad that I think of you having disgusting thoughts?
Melngailis did not discourage him. She replied, "Is it too bad I'm glad you thought about it?" About a week later, Lichtman raised the bar.
"We have to do it quickly," he texted. "Would you still be able to consider me as your lawyer if I blame you?"
"I think so," Melngailis replied. "Let's wait after that," said Lichtman.
The revelation of the texts threatened to upset the course of the drug lord's trial. Among other things, associating the legal file and the cotton file is a no-no in the code of professional responsibility, he noted.
The New York State Bar Code prohibits an attorney "to require or require sexual relations with a client or third party incident to … any professional representation," or "use coercion, intimidation or abusive influence in establishing sexual relations with a client."
"The idea that a person would have sex with a client is absurd, "According to the Post, an unidentified lawyer allegedly stated the following:
Lichtman also told her lover that she distracted him from the case of the drug lord. He said, according to the Post, that he "spent more time on your case than on the one I received a million dollars".
If El Chapo was troubled, he did not show it on Monday. [19659005] The old king's pillar entered the audience room with a big smile, congratulating his team and making a point of shaking Lichtman's hand. El Chapo then gave him a nod and Lichtman responded in the same way
Coverage of the case concerned lawyers, which led Judge Brian Cogan to check if the jurors knew about it . "The lawyers wanted me to consult the jury officially to see if any of them had been exposed or if anyone had seen or heard of the article in question," he said. said Cogan.
After speaking to the jurors, Cogan
Lichtman clearly told his mistress that he had separated from his wife, which surprised his wife, who refused her to post. .
His wife added that she was not aware of a case.
The paper stated that Melngailis had not returned his messages in search of a comment. For his part, Lichtman told The Post that he was not a perfect human being.
"This is a very personal matter that I will try to settle privately," the paper said in an article quoted by the Post. "My life and behavior have not always been perfect – I think we can all say it – but I am proud of my legal work in this case and on behalf of all the clients I have represented for 28 years. My personal feelings never affected my professional work nor the results I got. "
Fox News producer Marta Dhanis and the Associated Press contributed to the writing of this report.
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