There was a crowd at counsel table: Hiram Eastland and his son (who was wearing a yellow tie, unlike me), Christi McCoy, and Ron Michael (former partner of Joey Langston…). Bob Norman, Chad Lamar, and FBI Agent Bill Dulaney were at the prosecution side. The audience was somewhat full, with much of the usual crowd for this case (including retired AUSAs Tom Dawson and John Hailman, and also Curtis Wilkie, etc).
The judge called the defendant forward. He had Michael and McCoy on either side, along with Eastland. Norman was the only one there for the Government.
The proceeding began with Patterson’s statement, described already here.
Michael spoke for him as defense counsel. He said: “Some 14 months ago when the indictments were handed down, the first person I called was Patterson. I knew that if the facts were true my friend was going to [be facing a great deal] and in spite of that wanted him to know he still had a friend, and that I did know that he was a good man who had made some terrible judgments.” He quoted the Proverbs passage about a good name being worth more than gold and then said that Patterson “has been a good servant to his friends and his community.”
Bob Norman spoke for the government, saying he was saying some things not so much for the court as because they were things Patterson needed to hear. Stated that when he first met Patterson they were combatants but the case came to the point where they were not. Patterson said that he would like Norman to believe he was a minor participant, and said, “Do you believe that this would have happened if I had been out of the country as I was when you were trying to find me to arrest me.” Norman decided that this was so, and that this meant Patterson was a minor participant. Patterson was the second person to take responsibility in this case and was available to testify. “I will need him in the future. I believe he will testify truthfully.”
Patterson said that he would like Norman to believe he was a minor participant, and said, “Do you believe that this would have happened if I had been out of the country as I was when you were trying to find me to arrest me.”
I don’t understand this part.
I’m not sure what to add, except that that is pretty close to a quote and I understood it.
What Norman says Patterson said is that Judge Lackey’s bribe would have happened even if Patterson had been out of the country and not participating.
What will become of Norman L. Gillespie, William A. Allain, and Robert E. Shands who are listed on Timorthy R. Balducci’s letterhead. Was anything said about them in the sentencing hearing?
It’s the contrast between the first clause and the quote that throws me, NMC, as well as “Do you believe that this would have happened if I had [should that be "hadn't"?] been out of the country … .”
First he claimed to be a small fry but then said he could have changed the whole thing if he had/n’t been out of the country? I’m at a loss there.
Yes, Patterson wanted everyone to think he is chicken change, while being a hog at the trough.
Well put, mag.
Patterson is not a lawyer so he has not “violated the public trust”, he is just a common thief. That makes him a simple, well-paid criminal and hence, a minor player in this “dupe the democracy” lawyer/judge scheme.
Not so fast, Lurker. It appears from other posts that these messes extend back to a time when Patterson was State Auditor. If everything starts tumbling, and it appears they may be, some more big names may be headed into the legal meatgrinder. Stay tuned.