Lawyer caught lying about his mother's death to delay his client's trial
When a New York lawyer sent word to a federal judge that he needed to delay a police brutality trial because his mother had died, shortly before opening arguments last month, the jurist was sympathetic.
Senior U.S. District Judge Allyne Ross not only granted attorney John Nonnenmacher the extra week he sought but also expressed sympathy for his loss.
The problem was, Nonnenmacher’s mother hadn’t died. Nonnenmacher’s co-counsel Jason Leventhal was suspicious of his claim, and confirmed this by retaining a private investigator to check out whether Nonnenmacher’s mother had truly died, reports the New York Post.
When Leventhal informed the judge and opposing counsel for the city of Nonnenmacher’s deception, Judge Ross was not pleased. The city is seeking sanctions against not only Nonnenmacher but also Leventhal and their client, whose case was dismissed, the newspaper reports.
Ross said she would “deal with Mr. Nonnenmacher, his disqualification as counsel and appropriate discipline and sanctions at another time.”
The Post could not reach Nonnenmacher for comment.
Related coverage:
New Jersey Advance Media: “Lawyer lied to judge about mom’s death to delay trial, report says”
