Monday, November 05, 2018

JOHN ADAMS AND KHURRUM WAHID

John Adams was the second president of the United States. He is one of the founding fathers of our great country. He was elected to represent Massachusetts at the First and Second Continental Congresses. He was the chief architect of the Massachusetts Constitution which, with its unique (at the time) series of checks and balances on the branches of government, served as a model for the Constitution of the United States.  Adams served as an envoy to Paris where he negotiated a peace with France, codified in the Treaty of Paris in 1783. 

Patriot. Founding Father. Architect of Constitutional Freedoms. Diplomat. President. And....CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY. 

On the evening of March 5, 1770, in Boston, a City pulsing with anti-British fever, a fight broke out between a squad of British Soldiers and colonists at the Boston Commons. Five Boston Colonists were shot and killed in what was quickly called "The Boston Massacre."  A Grand Jury indicted the British soldiers and their commander, and John Adams agreed to undertake the defense of the British Soldiers. 
Lets us repeat this, so those who are too dull to initially comprehend the above statement (RON DESANTIS) can let this sink in: Attorney John Adams, patriot, future president, and criminal defense attorney agreed to undertake the DEFENSE OF THE ENEMY OF HIS COUNTRY. John Adams represented members of the army occupying his city. John Adams defended British soldiers who were accused of murdering his countrymen. 

And he won. 

History records that Adams was concerned that his unpopular defense of the enemy could affect his career, his business, and his future political endeavors. But Adams strongly believed in the right to trial and presumption of innocence. The first trial was of British Captain Thomas Preston who was accused of ordering his men to fire upon the crowd. The prosecution produced fifteen witnesses who testified, somewhat contradictory on basic facts, that Preston had ordered his men to fire. Adams produced twenty-three witnesses who testified that the soldiers, surrounded and threatened, were intimidated and provoked by the crowd. No one could positively testify who said the word "fire". When Preston was acquitted (after a the jury was sequestered) a verdict of Not Guilty was returned after the judge charged them with the term "reasonable doubt"- the first time a judge in Massachusetts had used that soon to be historic phrase. 

Adams serves as a lodestar to all criminal defense attorneys who are asked to take on unpopular cases and clients. His actions continue to inspire those who practice law. 

Enter Khurrum Wahid, a super-star Miami criminal defense attorney, and Ron DeSantis, the historically ignorant Republican candidate for governor of Florida. 
Here is the Tweet DeSantis sent out on November 5:





Mr. DeSantis- Meet John Adams. Because your tweet applies as much to him, if not more, than to Khurrum Wahid. Mr. Wahid has acted in the highest traditions of our profession. You, with  your ignorant and racist comments, have acted like the lowest fear-mongering racist trying to appeal to people's fears. 

Khurrum Wahid stands with the heroes of our country like President John Adams. Your words Mr. DeSantis, place you in the dark depths with  politicians like George Wallace.  You have revealed yourself to not just be a racist, but a fool ignorant of his country's great history and the brave acts of our founding fathers. 

Know this Khurrum Wahid: The entire defense Bar of Miami stands with you. And as word of this infamy spreads, we are sure the entire defense Bar of this country will stand right beside you. 

22 comments:

  1. I dont represent terrorists. I think these cases should be handled in millitary courts. This is a different kind of crime. It’s a cottage industry for this guy. It’s fair political game, in my view. Everyone is so sensitive these days.

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  2. Can we at least get Khurrum's last name right? It's "Wahid"

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  3. DeSantis should be disbarred, lose his law license, based his comments, just like the Broweird Judge who.lost the bench for her comments about criminal defense attorneys

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  4. Here here. Also god bless rudy guliani for defending the president. Adams, walid, guliani: American heroes!

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  5. Only Rumpole has the genius knowledge to link a current racist's words to a founding father of our great nation. History matters and that's why we need people like Rumpole who know history and can remind us of our proud traditions.
    Keep it up.

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  6. I apologize to Mr. Wahid for initially spelling his name incorrectly. If you're keeping score, that's error number four for the year. And of course, although the buck stops with us, some interns are better than others.

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  7. Yeah we’re a little sensitive about attacks on the Sixth Anemdment by a candidate to govern this State seeking the power to appoint the judges we practice in front of.

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  8. Ummm….has anyone realized lately that POTUS is BRIGHT ORANGE? I mean, he's really really orange. I think it's a health issue.

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  9. No lawyer with an ounce of self respect should apply to be a judge to governor desantis unless he immediately repudiates his attack on Mr. Walid and explains why. Otherwise you are becoming a judge who supports attacking lawyers for representing clients charged with high-profile and dangerous crimes. If in the unfortunate event desantis wins, we promise to expose and question every single attorney who applies to be a judge on the blog every single day until they unequivocally repudiate what desantis tweeted.

    Because we are rapidly approaching a situation Germany faced in the early 1930's as it careened toward National Socialism and the middle -educated-professional class remained mostly quiet and blind and looked the other way. Now is the time for people of courage to stand up and be counted. Racism and ignorance are splashed across our political races by many republicans and anyone who doesn't forcefully speak out against these repugnant people and their ideas, is a coward, pure and simple.

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  10. I wish it mattered, but Miami attorneys who think they are saving a few bucks on their taxes don't care at all about the racist hate mongering.

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  11. Orange is the new black?

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  12. The problem with Walid is not that he represents high profile criminals. He gets called on every terrorist case. He’s the go to guy for terrorists who get arrested. It is what it is. It’s not racist. I know many lawyers who would never represent people who wish to commits acts of terror on civilians. For any amount of money. Obviously if you are a jag lawyer it is a different story. That’s not the case here, however.

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  13. 9:00
    first his name is Wahid. He is my law partner and it my firm who has done these cases. I will add that many other lawyers have done these (not JAG). These are maybe 1% of the cases we have done in almost 20 years. If you think this is about money you clearly have never tried a 3 month federal trial.

    Let me explain to you how a principle works. If you believe in the right to representation and our Constitution, it does not waiver based on the allegation. Standing by your convictions means nothing if you don't do it when it's hard. You know what else apparently takes courage, signing your name to a public post.

    - Carmen M. Vizcaino

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  14. Actually he's not the go to guy for "terrorists" and you're a fucking racist.

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  15. If it’s not about money why else would you represent a person who wishes to hurt civilians for religious reasons. Was it pro bono?

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  16. @Carmen Vizcaino: excellent.

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  17. I'm assuming, but could be wrong, that 5:09 is a lawyer. That being said, if lawyers don't understand the function, functioning, and importance of criminal defense, we are in trouble. Saying "it is what it is" when you don't seem to actually know how the appointment of counsel works is not okay. I guess the criminal defense bar needs to do more to educate its brothers and sisters in other practice areas about what we do.

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  18. Ok I need to handle this. 6:59 AM. You're not a lawyer. You're not educated. How did you learn to use a computer. There are more contributions that doctors, lawyers, police officers,firefighters make to our country to make our world better than just doing something for money.
    A doctor on an airplane that treats a sick passenger doesn't get paid.
    An off-duty police officer that breaks up a robbery, or pulls her car over to help a stranded motorist doesn't do it for money.
    An off duty firefighter that runs into a burning house to recuse a neighbor doesn't do it for money.
    Lawyers and especially criminal defense attorneys believe with all their heart that one of the reasons why our country could vote yesterday was because WE defend the constitution. WE make sure that what the constitution guarantees is put into action.
    I am very sure you do not know this- BUT the constitution GUARANTEES that a person is considered innocent until proven guilty. What that means is when Mr. Wahid puts on his suit and goes to court and defends someone- anyone-accused of anything- from stealing a piece of gum, to plotting to blow up a building as a terrorist, he is putting the constitution into action. He is making sure his client is presumed innocent and he is holding the government to the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
    If lawyers were permitted to defend only those people whose "crimes" they approved of, then no one charged with murder or child abuse or sexual assault or domestic violence would have a lawyer. And our judicial system would break. And just Google if you know how "exonerated" and look at all the people in this country who have been wrongfully convicted and who were later exonerated and found to be innocent. And I guarantee you this. NOT ONE OF THEM was accused of a crime that you or I would find moral or acceptable. And most of those men and women who were exonerated were represented by a lawyer working for free.
    So read this, and crawl back into the hole you poked your little weasel eyes out of (and I apologize to the weasels of the world) and hope and pray that they (the government) doesn't come for you, and when they do, hope and pray that someone with the talent and dedication of Mr. Wahid agrees to defend you for free, because I doubt anyone with such a limited intellect could make anything beyond minimum wage.

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  19. You see. Trump has now created an atmosphere that encourages Nazi assholes like 5:09 and 6:59 to slither out into decent society.

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  20. "We must remember lawyers represent citizens when charged with crimes. Some citizens are found guilty but others are found not guilty. Who will be there to defend the innocent citizens when
    wrongly charged by our government if we allow judicial candidates to batter and defend lawyers
    who afford legal representation? This type of campaign conduct is a full attack on the system of legal justice and the right to counsel." In re Santino, 2018 WL 5095128(Fla.2018)(Lewis, J.concurring)

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  21. Here, Mr. Wahid entered the political arena. Politics is a contact sport. Man up.

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