Prosecutors
Lawyers in Brooke Astor Case Avoid ‘Near Melee’
Posted Feb 27, 2009, 11:51 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
A prosecutor and a defense lawyer in the fraud case against the son of the late wealthy socialite Brooke Astor “nearly came to blows” following a court hearing, according to one press account.
Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann and defense lawyers for Astor’s son, Anthony Marshall, “lobbed insults” at each other during the hearing, with both sides accusing each other of playing to the press, the New York Daily News reports. Marshall is accused of defrauding his mother out of money and property as she was suffering from Alzheimer’s.
One defense lawyer, Frederick Hafetz, accused the prosecution of filing a frivolous appeal that was “no more than a sham and another delay tactic,” the story says. Seidemann countered that the defense lawyers’ "level of outrage is proportional to the number of reporters in the audience."
During the “near-melee” after the hearing, Seidemann told defense lawyer John Cuti to stay away from him, the story says. "Get your hands off me," Seidemann reportedly said. "Don't touch me!"
The fracas ended with both lawyers shaking hands.
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