Lawyer goes on trial for allegedly coaching witnesses to lie; scripted Q-and-A cited
In a trial that begins this week, prosecutors may rely on email, and scripted questions and answers in an effort to prove that a Chicago criminal defense lawyer coached witnesses to lie.
The Chicago Tribune has a story on some of the prosecution evidence against the accused lawyer, Beau Brindley, who is accused of coaching witnesses to lie in five criminal trials.
Seized in a raid on Brindley’s office are four versions of scripted questions and answers for a client accused in a cocaine deal, the Tribune says. The client is expected to testify he agreed to pay Brindley $150,000 if he was acquitted.
Another piece of evidence is a February 2013 email about a client’s upcoming testimony in which Brindley tells an associate that he has “bolded a few important questions and the answers I think he should give.”
Brindley is also accused of obstructing a grand jury investigation by pretending to represent a witness and asserting she would assert her Fifth Amendment rights. As a result, the witness was not called to testify.
Prosecutors also allege Brindley filed a false report claiming a client was too sick to participate in an attorney-client meeting. When video evidence showed the client appeared fine, Brindley said he had only glanced at the document and didn’t know it contained errors.
Brindley maintains he is innocent. He suggested in a court filing that three former clients met while in jail to discuss their testimony against him.
Related article:
ABAJournal.com: “Feds expand case against defense lawyer charged with perjury, indict another attorney”