Former White House lawyer gets 15-year sentence for attempted murder; wife tells of past abuse
Former White House lawyer John Michael Farren was sentenced on Thursday to 15 years in prison for the attempted murder of his then-wife, a lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
Judge Richard Comerford of Stamford, Connecticut, sentenced Farren and ordered him held without bond pending appeal, report the Stamford Advocate and the Connecticut Law Tribune.
Prosecutors had alleged that Farren repeatedly beat Mary Margaret Farren with a flashlight and strangled her after she served him with divorce papers. She was unable to work at the law firm after the attack because of a brain injury.
Comerford said the attack was “horrendous” and said Farren should be held without bond to protect his wife and their children. The judge noted that Farren didn’t apologize at the hearing, instead choosing to make what appeared to be an appellate argument.
At the sentencing hearing, Mary Margaret Farren said she still feels the horror of the night she was severely beaten. “Words cannot capture the terror and pain I felt when my husband tried to kill me,” she said.
She said she had to walk on eggshells during the 15-year marriage to keep Farren from becoming enraged. In one incident, she said, her husband tried to keep her awake after a fight by putting flashlights in her face and yelling obscenities at intervals throughout the night.
Farren is a former general counsel of Xerox and a former lawyer in both Bush administrations. He was deputy White House counsel for President George W. Bush.
Related article:
ABAJournal.com: “Former White House lawyer is convicted of attempted murder”
