When Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was known as earlier than U.S. Decide Alvin Hellestetein on Monday to make a plea, he continuously spoke for himself, by an interpreter, protesting that he stays the chief of that nation.
However Barry Pollack, his legal professional who earlier reached a deal to free Julian Assange and dealt with many different high-profile instances, gave a preview of issues to return.
A accomplice at Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler with expertise from defending the WikiLeaks founder to wrongful convictions, Pollack is the lead legal professional charged with making Maduro’s case; Cilia Flores, his spouse, is represented by Mark Donnelly.
He made it instantly clear he’ll problem the legality of the motion even earlier than addressing costs.
“Mr. Maduro is the head of a sovereign state and is entitled to the privileges and immunities that go with that office,” Pollack stated. “In addition, there are issues about the legality of his military abduction.”
Pollack additionally instructed the choose that Maduro, being held on the Metropolitan Detention Heart in Brooklyn, has “health and medical issues that will require attention.”
So started the newest high-profile litigation within the Southern District of New York with an arrest, an legal professional and what’s prone to be a hard-fought pre-trial part to this case with March 17 set for the subsequent scheduled court docket look.
Excessive-profile purchasers
Along with Pollack, Bruce Fein, an legal professional specializing in constitutional and worldwide regulation and former assistant deputy U.S. legal professional common below President Ronald Reagan, is a part of Maduro’s group.
As lead legal professional, Pollack brings expertise from high-profile company to professional bono instances, spanning Enron executives to everyman instances of wrongful convictions.
“Barry is the type of lawyer who gets involved in challenging cases. He can utilize his skill set to effectively represent somebody,” stated Martin Tankleff, a former shopper and particular counsel at Barket Epstein Kearon Aldea & LoTurco. “His mastery is in the courtroom. He’s like a quiet pitbull. He can be soft spoken, but he knows how to step it up.”
Pollack reached a settlement for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, one other worldwide shopper tried in the US, resulting in his launch.
“He has represented a high-profile international client,” Tankleff stated. “The case raises significant constitutional and possibly international rights that Barry has had experience with.”
Pollack stated he’s seeing extra instances involving quite a few nations and jurisdictions as the US authorities goes after non U.S.-citizens overseas.
“I’ve been practicing for 35 years now, and there has been a steady growth of cases that implicate multiple countries,” he instructed Lawdragon.com relating to Assange. “The United States has an extraordinary view of what its worldwide jurisdiction is.”
A Washington, D.C.-based lawyer admitted to the bars within the District of Columbia, Maryland and New York, Pollack additionally gained a case on behalf of Enron accountant Michael W. Krautz, whereas 22 different defendants had been convicted.
A accomplice at employment, industrial litigation and white-collar protection agency Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler, he instructed Lawdragon.com he believes he’s “able to talk to a jury and explain the evidence in a way that makes sense to them” past the federal government’s perspective.
“I also think I have the ability to communicate well with a jury,” he added. “In some ways, you’re being a translator.”
Professional bono
Along with instances involving executives, Pollack additionally has gained professional bono instances relating to wrongful convictions, representing Martin Tankleff whereas working at Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin.
“It is hard work, because once you are convicted, the system is set up to keep the convictions,” he instructed Lawdragon.com. “So these cases often take years to litigate, but there’s really nothing more rewarding than seeing that kind of injustice corrected.”
He went on to signify Fernando Bermudez, who was declared “actually innocent,” not merely “not guilty.”
“That makes a difference,” Bermudez stated of the ruling that freed him after 18 years in jail. “It created legal precedence that a case like mine could be ruled on actual innocence.”
Bermudez remembers discovering out that Pollack, primarily based in Washington, D.C., would take his case is New York professional bono.
“Barry was a caring man who came from Washington, DC, to work on my case in New York,” Bermudez stated. “Barry worked for free to achieve my precious freedom.”
Tankleff sees Pollack, a protection legal professional with over 30 years of expertise, as a tough employee. “He’s dedicated to his clients. I think he recognizes the time it takes to effectively represent somebody,” Tankleff stated. “He has the skills of a trial lawyer, an appellate lawyer and a law professor.”
He additionally obtained a writ of precise innocence and $2.4 million in compensation for Anthony Corridor, wrongfully convicted of a murder in Baltimore.
A previous president of the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Undertaking, Pollack can also be an adjunct professor on the Georgetown College Legislation Heart, the place he teaches “Anatomy of a Federal Criminal Trial.”
A former licensed public accountant, he typically handles instances involving advanced monetary points, bringing authorized and monetary acumen to instances.
Pollack is a 1986 graduate of Indiana College, with Excessive Honors, and a 1991 graduate of Georgetown College Faculty of Legislation, magna cum laude. He clerked for the Hon. Thomas A. Flannery on the US District Court docket for the District of Columbia.
He then served as Assistant Federal Public Defender for the District of Maryland and accomplice at D.C. white collar prison protection regulation agency of Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin earlier than becoming a member of Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler.
“When Barry signed onto my case, I knew I was on the right track. He was an experienced federal litigator who added an extra dimension, reliability and support to an excellent team,” Bermudez stated. “It gave me an extra level of hope. He was a strong litigator and cross examiner in court.”
Bermudez stated Pollack is “an excellent cross-examiner” capable of make authorized arguments pre-trial and litigate in court docket.
“It’s impressive to be involved in that case,” Bermudez stated. “It shows the confidence that people have in him for such important representation.”
Tankleff stated Pollack has the calm to deal with high-profile instances and stay grounded to do a superb job. “As a lawyer, high profile cases are different. You have all eyes on you,” he stated. “You not only have to navigate the court system. You have to navigate the media.”
Tankleff not too long ago noticed Pollack and Stephen L. Braga, of counsel at D.C.-based Bracewell, after each sponsored him in his request to apply in entrance of the US Supreme Court docket.
“It was amazing,” Tankleff stated. “Those two lawyers fought for me. It went from client to colleague.”
