The on-going investigative series and resulting law suits by The Seattle Times demanding that many of the 420 civil suits sealed by judges since 1990 be opened, are bearing fruit.
The Times maintains they were sealed improperly. Last week the paper won its first decision and a judge ordered opened the sexual harassment case of prominent Seattle civil-rights attorney Bradley Marshall; infamous to BlatherWatchers as the celeb lawyer of Mike Webb, the former KIRO talk show host arrested in December for felony insurance fraud.
(Webb says Marshall no longer represents him because he's a civil, not a criminal, lawyer. Webb's current attorney is Mark Larrafiaga of Walsh & Larrafiaga).
Marshall was being sued for sexual harassment by a young, female former employee. They cut a deal: He wrote a check, and she agreed to let the entire file be sealed. It was a quid pro quo- amounting to Marshall buying court-sanctioned secrecy.
We've reported about the stain on Marshall's record after being disciplined by the Washington State Bar Association for directing his staff "emulate the signatures" (read forge) of a client and a witness on a court document, then not "accepting personal responsibility" for (read lying about) the improper signatures or submitting false information to the court. But that's not the worst of it. The Times:
The bar has accused Marshall repeatedly of dishonesty and of failing to own up to misconduct. Last year, a disciplinary board voted for disbarment. Its recommendation is now before the state Supreme Court, which has received letters from Marshall's supporters touting his high moral standards.
In 2003, the bar was investigating allegations that Marshall had shared a client's fee with a nonlawyer — paid a finder's fee, essentially — and then had the fee's recipient submit a false hourly bill to conceal the arrangement. He now faces possible disbarment on these grounds.
It seems Marshall has a remarkable résumé. He's a civil-rights lawyer. Adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific and a sports agent. He has commissioned an 80 foot long mural for his office depicting his 17-year career defending the privileged, hyper-monetized underclass such as Mike Webb.
And the pro-basketball community...who will speak for them, if not
Bradley Marshall? See his life's mural decorating the pages of his
website.
He represented the families of Robert Thomas Sr. and Harold McCord Jr., both killed by police. He has taught at Seattle Pacific University (business law and ethics) and at the University of Washington (sports-management law). He has represented such athletes as basketball players Clifford Robinson and James Edwards.
But,The Times continues " disciplinary records and lawsuits — some sealed, some not — do not flatter Marshall. They allege dishonesty, malpractice, domestic violence, harassment."
We're sorry that Webb fired Marshall- we were looking forward to seeing him in action at Mike's legal proceedings. A reader said it best:, "They seemed so well-suited for each other..."
The juicy details of the Marshall sexual harassment file will be available to the media maybe as soon as this week.
I don't know anything about Bradley Marshall, but I would caution everyone against taking the Bar Association's word at face value. I have had a front-row seat. The Bar is an intensely political operation and the Bar's disciplinary office is run by the type of people who cause their own mothers to worry about sexual assault.
And in these cases, the Supreme court is nothing more than a rubber stamp. You don't become a judge in this State without the Bar's blessing.
It may well be that Marshall aggressively pursued a case and angered some government lawyer who had a buddy down at the Bar Association. It happens more often that one might suspect.
Posted by: Ted Smith | March 27, 2006 at 06:54 AM
And institutions like the Bar Association and the American Medical Association are two peas in a pod. Self regulating . . . They always protect themselves first. I include the AMA partly because of their stand on tort reform - a protection of doctors over patients. They are good-old-boy networks formed to keep other people out of their business.
Posted by: joanie | March 27, 2006 at 07:32 AM
Interesting....I believe that Bill O'Falafal paid off his harassment accuser, and that was that. I wonder what the difference is?
What a mess.
Posted by: sparky | March 27, 2006 at 08:01 AM
Howard made O'Reilly look like a fool.
HOWARD IS THE KING
Posted by: PiR | March 27, 2006 at 09:13 AM
This one time... at KIRO... right after the "guy skipping with a knife, but shot cuz' he was black" thing, Brad Marshall called the 9pm-1am...host at the time...and offered to come in studio and debate him why it WAS a racial shooting.
So the...host at the time...says yes and gives him directions. Brad shows up in sweats, reeking of Courvoisier and he brings a "friend." The "friend" is a moderately attractive "law student" and Brad stammers "Don't mention her!" right as the mikes' go hot (it made it on the air).
60 rambling minutes later, Brad and the... host at the time...shake hands and agree that The Big Seattle Racial Divide has been solved. Brad fumbles for his card, can't find it, hands his keys to the "student" and says "They're in the briefcase in the trunk." With a glance of irritation, she dutifully gets carded out the door, and is back in a minute.
Brad says, "Call me, we should make this a show!"
And just like that, he's gone.
"So...there's that." (Jerry Lundegaard, "Fargo")
Posted by: Scrilla | March 27, 2006 at 12:10 PM
Sorry but I just had to say this to somebody before turning in for the night:
I hate George Bush!
Posted by: joanie | March 27, 2006 at 11:15 PM
Sleep tight Joanie we have another long day ahead of us tomorrow listening to KIRO.
Posted by: The Anti KIRO | March 28, 2006 at 12:09 AM
Bla'M, double check the name here, please...could it be Mark Larranaga?
Posted by: Fremont | March 28, 2006 at 08:05 PM