Cocktails & Popcorn: Carmack Fires Attorney, Gets New Attorneys & Raises The Attorney Client Privilege Possibilities

"The popcorn is popping."

On this exciting episode of Cocktails & Popcorn, we have Bob "wired up" Carmack, firing his attorneys in the criminal case that Mike Duggan & friends have put together over a criminal case of a land sale...featuring the Detroit Land Bank Authority.

But this is not the focus of this particular nugget of historic, legal enjoyment.

Neil Rockind, has a long and illustrious history in Detroit community charities, as does Steve Hanley, another prominent Detroit litigator, who is also very active in Hamtramck matters of interest.

Attorney Mark Korio sent out the following press release, January 3, 2019:

A massive federal civil rights and discrimination lawsuit has been filed by Ray Ahmed Fayad, a Lebanese-American businessman, over the seizure of 90 vehicles by the multijurisdictional COBRA auto theft unit in January 2016. It has been assigned U.S. District Court Case No. 2:18-cv-13982 in the Eastern District of Michigan. The City of Ecorse, Hamtramck, Highland Park and Investigators Stout and McMahon are among about a dozen defendants - including some police chiefs . It is assigned to Judge Terrence Berg and noted Brooklyn human rights activist and civil rights lawyer Huwaida Arraf is Plaintiff's counsel. It was filed on 12/20/18 and served on 12/27/18.
Also, in an unrelated development, following a closed session of Hamtramck City Council at the last council meeting held in December of 2018, a Muslim councilman and a non-Muslim councilperson reportedly had an altercation at City Hall resulting in police reports being made. It is expected a local Hamtramck paper may run a story on the incident to be published Friday and there is speculation as to whether attempts may be made to censure any culpable party or parties via City Council action. 3, 2019.

I just thought it wise to include the amended complaint, below, since it seems, there exists what I love to call the spurious relationship when it comes to the network of "Legal Geniuses" (trademark pending).

So, the police bust a man, in possession of vehicles, that may be stolen, but says that they are his because his name is on the title, the exact same legal argument of the Detroit Land Bank Authority.

Instead of using preparing for a legal defense, you can always start a "Colored" Revolution and file an Elliot Larson case, screaming discrimination, or something like that.

Wasel v. Hamtramck Amended ... by on Scribd

I wonder if Neil and Steve are going to be active participants in that pesky "attorney-client privilege" thing floating around the inner sanctum of the legal community.

Carmack fires attorneys in criminal case over land sale

Neil Rockind, Board of Directors for the
 Friends of the Israeli Defense Force – Michigan Chapter

Detroit businessman Robert Carmack fired the two attorneys representing him in a real estate fraud case Monday and asked for a delay in the preliminary examination.

During a hearing in 36th District Court, Carmack told Judge Deborah Lewis Langston he felt he would be in "better hands" with his two new lawyers, Neil Rockind and Steve Haney, than with the attorneys he dismissed, Mike Rataj and Paul Stablein.

Rataj told the judge there had been a "breakdown" in communications with Carmack and said after the brief hearing there were no hard feelings toward Carmack.

"We wish him only the best," said Rataj. "Sometimes there's just a breakdown in the relationship ... people are not on the same page. It doesn't change our opinion of Mr. Carmack. We still believe in his innocence."

Carmack said his defense will hinge on 14 years worth of records and testimony from 30 witnesses. His new court date is Feb. 11.

Steve Haney, Detroit litigator very
familiar with other high profile casesin Hamtramck.

Carmack, 59, of Woodhaven, is accused of stealing a million-dollar parcel of property from the city. He was charged last month with one count of false pretenses with intent to defraud $100,000 or more, and three counts of uttering and publishing a document affecting real property tied to a decade-old land deal.

The false pretenses charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, according to state statute. Uttering and publishing carries a penalty of up to 14 years.

The case centers around the purchase of property on Melville Street on Detroit's southwest side. The city maintains that Carmack, who sold the property for $1 million, did not legally own the site.

Carmack been locked in a legal battle with Detroit and a public feud with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.

Carmack made headlines in November after airing private investigator footage of the mayor's comings and goings on a billboard truck outside City Hall. The footage, obtained by a private investigator hired by Carmack, showed the mayor visiting a condominium in Novi and separately showed a woman arriving there on other occasions.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©