Jim Villanucci was talking about Marty Chavez' political future today.
At one point he wondered, what the worst thing that Marty Chavez did as mayor?
Without question;
it was his betrayal of Character Counts.
A widely recognized, accepted and respected
code of ethical conduct.
The standard of conduct for students in the APS.
Proactive, and the single best approach
that has ever been offered,
for growing children into adults
who embrace honor and courage and character.
Marty Chavez, when it was convenient,
embraced Character Counts and called himself
one of its founding fathers.
He taught children;
Stand up for what you believe in;
even if you are standing alone.
And then he let them.
He betrayed Character Counts in deference
to the leadership of the APS
who have themselves have betrayed its principles.
And that is the single worst thing Marty Chavez
has done as mayor.
in my humble opinion
1 comment:
FYI Modrall firm at it again!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Firm Wants Judge's Recusal
By Scott Sandlin
Journal Staff Writer
The rhetoric has escalated to a high pitch in the post-trial warring over a $54 million verdict against a nursing home chain.
Attorneys at a prestigious law firm are accused of improper behavior— delivering documents to the courthouse and allegedly telling a court aide the documents should go to the jury after it had started deliberating.
Those attorneys, in turn, have lashed out at opposing counsel, who won the record verdict, in documents filed for a hearing today on a motion that asks the judge to disqualify herself.
The hearing seeks the recusal of Bernalillo County District Judge Linda Vanzi, who presided over the three-week jury trial in June over the death of Lori Keith's mother, Barbara Barber. Barber died unattended at a ManorCare home in Albuquerque.
The jury awarded $50 million in compensatory damages over ManorCare's handling of Barber's illness and $4 million in punitive damages.
The Modrall law firm filed unsuccessful motions to reduce the amount or obtain a new trial.
But the root of the bitter dispute between Keith's attorneys, Carl Bettinger and Michael Gross, and Modrall attorneys R.E. Thompson, a former U.S. attorney, Tim Fields and Kenneth Harrigan— has to do with the trial documents delivered the morning after the jury had started deliberations.
Attorneys had already conferred on exhibits that would go into the jury room when a Modrall paralegal and a man carrying a box of papers showed up at the judge's office and said there were additional exhibits that needed to be taken to the jury room, according to the judge's aide.
The aide checked with Vanzi, and the documents did not go into the jury room.
Before the verdict was read, Vanzi called parties into the courtroom and described events, prompting Keith's lawyers to ask for an evidentiary hearing and for sanctions against the Modrall lawyers.
At a September hearing, Thompson said he was merely providing documentation intended to go to the court reporter in the event of an appeal.
The firm's recusal motion contends Vanzi would be biased in favor of her aide when Modrall attorneys have a different recollection of events.
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