{"id":5267,"date":"2006-04-15T11:45:11","date_gmt":"2006-04-15T15:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2006\/04\/15\/what-did-lawyer-felon-capocci"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:54:00","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:54:00","slug":"what-did-lawyer-felon-capoccia-give-up-for-lent-twerpesq-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2006\/04\/15\/what-did-lawyer-felon-capoccia-give-up-for-lent-twerpesq-update\/","title":{"rendered":"what did lawyer-felon Capoccia give up for Lent? [twerpEsq update]"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

The Good News<\/span><\/em><\/strong> for convicted lawyer felons: Freely share your<\/span>
\nlegal expertise while incarcerated and you will be (a) very <\/span>
\npopular with fellow inmates and (b) the recipient of many<\/span>
\nbartered small luxuries (e.g<\/span><\/em>., strawberry cereal bar, sandals,<\/span>
\na set of headphones, a pillow), which you will appreciate far<\/span>
\nmore than in your heyday scamming millions from clients.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"tiny Since your “clients” have no money to pay the <\/span>
\nlegal fees of private lawyers on the outside<\/span>, you <\/span>
\nwon’t even <\/span>have to worry about the “consumer <\/span>
\nprotection” — Unauthorized Practice<\/span><\/a> — <\/span>zealots <\/span>
\nat the state bar coming after your disbarred butt. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


\n \"Capoccia1999\"<\/span>
\n <\/span>FBP inmate 06-00370<\/span><\/em> <\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em>
\n<\/strong><\/em>
\nThe Bad News <\/span><\/strong><\/em>for convicted lawyer felons: Besides losing <\/span>
\nyour freedom, you eat far too much “mystery meat,” even <\/span>
\nthough you sent in an order for “aglio con olio, broccoli rabe <\/span>
\nand escarole salad.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

at the end of Lent the taste of you<\/em><\/span>
\n <\/span> Jim Kacian<\/span><\/a> from <\/span>Taboo Haiku<\/span><\/em><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Albany Times Union<\/em> offers an interesting look at the prison<\/span>
\nlife of Andrew F. Capoccia, “once a fierce litigator who earned <\/span>
\nmillions from personal-injury cases before being sent off to prison <\/span>
\nin February. “Once a big litigator; now works for food<\/a>: Inmate Andrew <\/span>
\nF. Capoccia trades legal advice for small luxuries,” by Alan Wechsler, <\/span>
\nApril 13, 2006.<\/span><\/span> (We’ve chronicled Capoccia antics with his debt-reduc-<\/span>
\ntion scam, and the gross failure of NYS bar grievance committees to <\/span>
\nprotect his clients, frequently at this weblog — see, especially, this essay<\/span><\/a>.)<\/span><\/p>\n

The source of the article is:<\/span><\/p>\n

“a 16-page letter to a friend that was provided <\/span>to the Times Union<\/span><\/span>. <\/span>
\nThe prison memoir, sent last month, is penned in tone <\/span>of a man who <\/span>has accepted his sentence of more than 15 years with a <\/span>keen sense <\/span> of irony and dark humor.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It’s well worth a deterrent look, but hurry, as the TU <\/span><\/em><\/span>only keeps its content <\/span>
\navailable for free online for 7 days.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"jailbird<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"raindropS\" Honored Guest Jim Kacian<\/a> has always<\/span>
\nbeen a free man: <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n
\n
\n

the place i can\u2019t reach itches your absence<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

passing the jug
\n<\/span>the warmth
\nof many hands<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n
\n

first page<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

of the new journal<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

untrammeled snow <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

\"raindropS\" \"raindropS\"<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

sharp wind<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

the metal gate bangs shut<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

bangs shut<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

sundown —<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

one dog starts <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

them all<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Jim Kacian<\/span><\/a> from from <\/span>Presents of Mind<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span> (1996)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

except:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

“sundown” – <\/span>Upstate Dim Sum<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/a> <\/em>2001\/II <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

“the place” – <\/span>Simply Haiku<\/span><\/em><\/a> (2003)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

potluck<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

“emptypocketsS” A little more local-area law news<\/em>. Experienced litigator and appellate <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

advocate L. John Van Norden<\/a> has been Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City of <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Schenectady, NY, the past two years (and carrying most of the load for his boss, <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Alfred Goldberger). He’s also an avid member of the Adirondack Forty-Sixers<\/span><\/a>. John <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

had worked for the City for eleven years prior to entering private practice in 2001. He <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

left because he disagreed with the City’s policy of defending every police officer accused <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

of misbehavior. <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/em>Gazette<\/em> reports today that John is looking for a new job, after getting caught in the <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

midst of salary squabbling aimed primarily at our Mayor, which has lost him a promised <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

pay hike. (Daily Gazette<\/span><\/a><\/em>, “City’s Counsel Seeking New Job<\/a>,” April 15, 2006). What <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I wanted to point out is that John made only $45,000 in salary for his fulltime job for <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

2005. In order to get a raise to $70,000 for 2006, his boss allowed his own Corporation <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Counsel salary to be cut from $70,000 to $50,000, as of Jan. 1, 2006. Those who think <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

that only losers take municipal law jobs, and\/or that all lawyers are overpaid, should <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

take a look at John Van Norden’s record. We wish him the best as he looks for a new <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

position. <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"bully<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Another Schenectady story that may be of interest to Web denizens is the arrest of <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

David R. Monty, who is accused of stalking his estranged wife using several techniques <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

involving the internet:<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

– Sending harassing emails to his wife and her employer <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

and friends; they placed the wife in fear of bodily harm <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

and caused her employer of eight years (a cardiology <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

office) to fire her.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

– Creating a weblog that he pretended was his wife’s web-<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

site. The weblog had “vulgar and sexual entries”.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"bully\"<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

– Attempting to access his wife’s bank accounts online.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

– Illegally using wireless internet access points: stealing <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

the signals from his neighbors, allegedly, to avoid paying <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

for the services.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

In April 2004, Monty wrote a Letter to the Editor to the Schenectady <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Gazette, complaining that having to disclose a 1998 conviction for <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

“first-degree harassment” prevented him from being hired for jobs. <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

He wrote “Come on, employers, is there nothing in your past that <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

you have done that may be questionable? Give some of us a chance<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

to prove we are citizens.” (Daily Gazette<\/span><\/a><\/em> [Schenectady, NY], “Police<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

say man stalked wife via Internet,” A1, by Steven Cook, April 15, 2006, <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

available by subscription)<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"tiny To the best of my recollection, Mr. Monty was the<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

person who first taught me — while representing a child <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

as Law Guardian in Family Court — that keeping a mother <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

safe is a necessity for keeping a child safe. Sadly, when <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

a mother chooses to remain in a violent relationship, she <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

puts her children at risk<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"blackboardAdd\"<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Fibonacci<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\/Schmibonacci<\/em><\/strong>: You won’t get the f\/k\/a<\/em> Gang to start <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

counting syllables again. See “is it or ain’t it haiku?<\/em><\/span><\/a>” (via Blawg Review<\/span><\/a><\/em>)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

update<\/span><\/strong><\/em> (10 PM): Jonathan Stein<\/a> of The Practice<\/em> weblog has written yet another<\/span><\/a> \"mouse<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

attack on me and my position regarding the ethics of the standard contingency fee. <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

See “Bonus Post: One More freaking time<\/em><\/a>,” April 15, 2006. For the third time, he has <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

failed to link to any<\/em> of my materials on the topic (such as this<\/span><\/a>). This time, Jonathan calls <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

my analysis is “crap” and “hateful”, and asserts again<\/span><\/a> that only a p\/i lawyer can have <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

an opinion about the ethics of contingency fees — especially the position that fees should <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

vary according to the lawyers perceived risk at the time of entering the fee agreement. So <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

far, he hasn’t explained why the American Trial Lawyers Association<\/span><\/a> submitted a statement<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

to the Utah Supreme Court<\/span><\/span>, in 2003, <\/span>explaining [at 12]: <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

” ‘Attorneys should exercise sound judgment and use a percentage in the <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>contingent fee contract that is commensurate with the risk,<\/em> cost, and effort <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>required.’ . . . <\/span>The passage is not merely information given to clients, but is <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>taken verbatim from a resolution on professional ethics regarding the use of <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>contingent fees, adopted by ATLA’s Board of Governors in 1986. This resolu-<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>tion <\/span>continues to be ATLA’s policy regarding the ethical obligations of its <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>members<\/em>.” <\/span>[emphasis added]<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>[ed. note<\/em>: ATLA says the appropriate percentage belongs in<\/em> the fee <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>contract. No client should have to depend on the lawyer giving him a <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>a fee rebate at the end of the case.]<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"mouse Admittedly, we are experiencing an illicit Easter Eve Chocolate-Bunny <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Overdose right now, and may be more annoyed than usual by his pixel drivel. However, we’re <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

writing because poor Jonathan needs some mentoring. Would someone who cares about <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

him, please remind Jonathan that potential clients for his Elk Grove, CA, solo practice just <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

might Google him and discover his attitudes and EQ<\/a>? Couldn’t someone more objective than <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I, let Mr. Stein know that he will soon be known, throughout weblawgdom, as twerpEsq<\/em>, if he <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

doesn’t stop these little temper tantrums. In the holiday spirit, someone go hug Mr. Stein. <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

in the farm field
\nhis wife hides…
\ncroaking frog<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Issa<\/span><\/a>, translated by <\/span>David G. Lanoue<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"jailNeg\"<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Good News for convicted lawyer felons: Freely share your legal expertise while incarcerated and you will be (a) very popular with fellow inmates and (b) the recipient of many bartered small luxuries (e.g., strawberry cereal bar, sandals, a set of headphones, a pillow), which you will appreciate far more than in your heyday scamming […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2926,2927],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006","category-schenectady-synecdoche"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-1mX","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5267"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12687,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5267\/revisions\/12687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}