Jailed 14 Months for Contempt, Ex-Beverly Hills Lawyer Calls Himself a Political Prisoner
Ordered to pay an opposing party’s legal fees and turn over financial documents, Richard Fine refused.
Now the disbarred Beverly Hills lawyer once known for his dapper dress and bow ties routinely wears a bright orange jumpsuit. He has been held for 14 months in solitary confinement in the Los Angeles County Men’s Central Jail on a contempt citation, according to CNN.
Superior Court Judge David Yaffe declined to comment about Fine’s case while it is pending. However, attorney Kevin McCormick, who has represented the court against Fine points out in a filing that he can win release at any time by complying with the court’s rulings.
Fine, 70, calls himself a political prisoner, saying that judges routinely rule in favor of Los Angeles County because of the fat salaries they earn from the county.
Attorney Joe Carlucci, who served as lead prosecutor in the California State Bar case that resulted in Fine’s disbarment last year, tells CNN that Fine repeatedly filed frivolous appeals contending that the county’s judges were corrupt whenever he lost a case.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently refused to hear Fine’s handwritten plea for release from solitary confinement, the news agency recounts.
“I think it’s a lack of judicial integrity to say enough is enough,” says Sterling Norris of Judicial Watch concerning Fine’s ongoing incarceration. “We’ve got a man, 70-year-old attorney, in jail for over a year on coercive confinement and that is way beyond the pale. No matter what else he may have done, that is improper.”
In his heydey, Fine prosecuted antitrust cases for the U.S. Department of Justice.
Additional coverage:
Los Angeles Times (Jan. 2009): “Contempt ruling the latest blow against veteran lawyer”
Los Angeles Times (March 2009): “Veteran attorney in L.A. held on contempt of court charges”
