HOT DOG!

 When in NYC we have our favourite table at 11 Madison Park, and we have our favourite dishes, served at a Michelin starred restaurant that we think- with apologies to French Laundry- is the best in the country. 

In 2010 co-owner Will Guidara was working the lunch shift when he overheard a table of guests talking about the great meals they had while visiting the city. One guest said that he had not had time to get a NY Hot Dog from the famous carts that dot the city, and he was craving it. 

Guidara rushed out of the restaurant, found a hot dog vendor, bought a few, brought it to the kitchen and had them adorned with some gourmet toppings and served it to his astonished guests.  This article recounts the incident: 

"No one had ever reacted to anything I served them better than they reacted to that hot dog," Guidara said. "Each person said it was not only the highlight of their meal, but of their entire trip to New York, and they'd be telling the story for the rest of their lives."

He turned a champagne cart into a Budweiser cart for a guest's father when the guest said his dad loved Bud beer. 

In the REGJB we have had the Roy Blacks and Richard Sharpsteins and Eddie O'Donnells stand before the bar and defend clients. 

We also had the Sy Gares.  

One group of lawyers served Michelin- starred defense.  The other served a hot-dog defense. Both won and both had satisfied clients. 

There's a lesson here somewhere.  Beyond getting brown mustard and onions on the dog as an appetizer at 11 Madison Park. 

THE DECLARATION DEFENSE

 Maybe we have been at this game too long. But when the arrests and indictments began to be issued against the individuals who stormed the Capitol on January 6, we immediately thought that if retained we would mount this defense: 

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security...

To be clear, we do not and did not support the political objectives of those who stormed the Capitol. But for that matter we did not support the political ideals of those held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for their opposition to the United States on and off the battlefield. But we would have represented them. 

Nor did John Adams support the presence of British soldiers in Massachusetts, but he successfully represented several of them who fired into a hostile crowd. Well before Florida's SYG law, he mounted a successful self defense with these memorable words: "facts are stubborn things and whatever may be our wishes , our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."

Are we wrong? Do not the words of the Declaration of Independence provide the framework for a defense on those charged for what they did on January 6? Now before you put down your hotdog and cold one and fire off an angry missive, we remind you that we do not believe this current government has become "destructive of these ends" requiring revolt. However, had POTUS 45 successfully seized voting machines and had Mike Pence agreed to reject slates of voters submitted by States on January 6 and kept POTUS 45 in power, subverting the lawful votes and outcome of the last election- would you not have taken up at least figurative arms against a government that was not "instituted among men?" 

We would have.

And doesn't that make the actions of those who stormed the Capitol simply whose Ox was gored? 

Happy Fourth. No hot dog eating and driving! 

Rumpole's Best Bet: The Battle for The Mustard Belt will take place today at Nathans, Coney Island, NY. The Over/under is 76 Hot Dog and Buns (HDB) for the men's competition. Take the OVER. The o/u for the Women's competition is 46. Take the UNDER. Enjoy. 

LONG WEEKEND AHEAD

UPDATE: MATTHEWMAN GETS A NOT GUILTY!

It took two trials, two Allen charges and two very long deliberations and one special post verdict jury note, , but Bill Matthewman walked his client out of Judge Dimitrouleas's courtroom Thursday night on a Conspiracy PWID +500 grams.

It takes a very good lawyer to get an NG in federal court. It takes a great lawyer to get one after a hung jury. And that's just what happened Thursday. A great lawyer prevailed. A Rumpolian WELL DONE Mr. Mathhewman. Well done indeed.

Post script: the case is USA v. Fabiola E Valdez. 11-80034-cr-WMD or 11-80034-cr Cohn as Judge Cohn was the original Judge. The DEA claimed Mr. Matthewman's confessed. But they have their precious policy of not recording post arrest statements. The jury sent out this note: We are disappointed by the agents' failure to record the statement, or videotape or photograph the surveillance of the defendant, which therefore caused the agents to fail to submit proof to us of beyond a reasonable doubt.

The original note should be up on Pacer soon. We no nothing about this case, but beyond what must have been stellar cross examination, you want to know where this case was won? It was won in the most important part of the case: Voire Dire! Mr. Matthewman got a jury that understood burden of proof, reasonable doubt and was not afraid to apply the law. What a great lesson on the eve of independence day. It's what we as Americans are all about.

Judging from the last two posts the lawyers in the REGJB are primarily interested in 1) Good Barbecue and secondarily interested in 2) non-lawyers who practice law and steal their fees.

FYI- and in case the yahoos at the Florida Bar are interested (We can do that- we're anonymous!)

Court Options promotes a "Record Sealing Specialist" named Melanie Covey who is 1) not licensed (ok- maybe she has a driver's license) and 2) not regulated by any agency in her record sealing endeavors.

Here's the real rub (continuing with our barbecue theme): a Florida lawyer, no matter how experienced, is precluded from identifying themselves as a specialist in any area of the law. But some individual who may or may not have their GED apparently is allowed to solicit clients and identify herself as a "specialist" in a particular area of the law. Go figure.

The sexual assault case against former head of the IMF- Dominique Strauss- Kahn, is about to fall apart. The Times article is here.

OK: now the important stuff.

The 4th of July approaches. How do you take your hot dog? On the grill, boiled, fried, with kraut, or (our personal favourite) Chicago Style.

For you neophytes, a Chicago Style dog is steamed/boiled, and put on a seeded bun with yellow mustard, sweet raw onions, sweet relish, a tomato slice, a pickle slice, and a small pickle pepper. A dash of celery salt finishes the dog off. In some parts of the country it is entirely acceptable to put some french fries on top of the dog. However. it is absolutely forbidden to put ketchup on a Chicago Dog. Some of the real old time vendors in the Second City do not even carry ketchup in their establishment.

Below is a typical Chicago Style Dog.