| Subject: newspaper doesn't like Geoff, but....... |
Author:
Chris
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Date Posted: 11/17/05 5:37pm
In reply to:
Joey B
's message, "Re: Fieger/Cox Mess" on 11/17/05 1:04am
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Gorcyca should charge Fieger or hush
Trying attorney in the court of public opinion is unfair
The Detroit News
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All Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca needed to say Tuesday is that the allegations made by Attorney General Mike Cox against attorney Geoffery Fieger didn't meet the test of criminal charges.
But he said much more than that. He said too much, in fact.
We are no fan of Fieger. His tactics inside and outside the courtroom are frequently obnoxious.
Fieger has had numerous run-ins with judges, other attorneys and the Attorney Grievance Commission.
He's a bully.
Cox asked Gorcyca to investigate the complaint, and he did. And he found that the taped conversations Cox delivered of Fieger and an alleged associate didn't merit criminal charges.
The prosecutor did find possible evidence of attorney misconduct and rightly turned that over to the Attorney Grievance Commission for review.
Gorcyca should have left the podium after that announcement. Instead, he stayed around a press conference to try Fieger in the court of public opinion and leave the impression of guilt he can't prove.
The prosecutor told reporters that while the evidence does not meet the burden of proof necessary for criminal charges, he was personally certain Fieger had done something wrong.
He implied that Fieger was getting off on a technicality.
That's inappropriate.
If Gorcyca has the evidence, he should charge Fieger. If he doesn't, he should stay quiet.
As irritating as Fieger is, he deserves to be treated fairly.
As for Cox, his weakly supported accusations may have jeopardized the better opportunity to make Fieger a criminal defendant.
Any action Cox takes now on the $450,000 campaign contribution Fieger tried to funnel through a political action committee to defeat Supreme Court Justice Stephen Markman becomes suspect.
In light of the personal dispute between the two men, Cox should ask the federal Justice Department to take over that probe.
Fieger shouldn't be publicly abused for crimes the prosecutor can't prove he commited. But he shouldn't be allowed to skate away from crimes he may have commited because of Cox's premature accusations.
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