Squiggy Squigman retained attorney Laverne DeFazio to represent him on a federal bank robbery charge. The indictment charged that Squigman had robbed Milwaukee Bank on Shotz Street. The prosecutor's case depended
IRAC
•issue, summary of relevant cases and statutes, application of cases and statutes to
Issue, conclusion
4 pages (no cover page) Reference page needed
3 United states cases and 2 united states Statutes
Correct citations.
Assignment 3
Squiggy Squigman retained attorney Laverne DeFazio to represent him on a federal bank robbery charge. The indictment charged that Squigman had robbed Milwaukee Bank on Shotz Street. The prosecutor's case depended in part on photographic evidence obtained from hidden cameras in the bank. None of the photographs clearly depicted the robber's face.
At their first meeting, Squigman told DeFazio that, at the time of the robbery, he was watching television at the home of his friend Shirley Feeney.
While reviewing the evidence, Defazio noticed that one of the bank photographs
showed the robber wearing a ring on the fourth finger of his right hand. Later, at one of their trial preparation sessions, Del azio saw that Squigman had a ring on the same finger. DeFazio mentioned this to Squigman, and the following conversation
occurred:
Squigman: So what? Lots of people wear rings on that finger and lots of rings look
I ke this one.
Derazio: Yours has at on it
Squigman: You can't see the one in the bank photo clearly enough to see if there's a
" on that one.
DeFazio: You might be able to if they blow it up.
After the meeting ended, Squigman removed the ring and Defazio never saw it again.
In a subsequent meeting, Defazio noticed a tan ring line on Squigman's finger and
said, "The DA may ask you about the ring line on your finger." Squigman did not
respond.
During the trial, but before he testified, Squigman asked DeFazio what he should do
I the prosecutor asks him i he owned a ring with a b on it
"If you insist on testifying, you have to tell the truth, " Defazio said.
The night before closing arguments were scheduled to begin, Squigman gave Defazio
the balance of her legal fee in $100 bills. DeFazio noticed that the serial numbers on
14 of the $100 bills corresponded to the serial numbers identified during the
testimony of a bank ofticer as the numbers on some of the stolen bills.
DeFazio returned all 14 of the $100 bills to Squigman and told him to bring an
equivalent sum in other denominations. The following morning, Squigman came to
court with bills in various denominations, which Defazio accepted.
In her closing argument, DeFazio argued that the prosecutor was going after the
wrong man and urted the jury to believe shirley reeney stestimony contirming
Squiggy 's alibi.
What standards of professional responsibility, ifany, has Defazio violated by her
conduct in represchun, sourmant Discuss.