Monday, April 07, 2008

DC Madam Trial; Day one.


Prosecution witness: Harlan Ullman of "Shock and Awe." And of course, Ullman was client of Palfrey.
Defense witness: Senator Vitter. Also, Randall Tobias will be witness for the defense.
From Legal Times:
During jury selection today, Palfrey’s lawyer, Preston Burton, identified Vitter as a possible witness. Burton, a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, also named Randall Tobias, a former senior State Department official who last year was linked to the escort service, Pamela Martin and Associates, and promptly resigned his post. Tobias said he received massages from Palfrey’s employees but no illegal sex.
The Associated Press has more here. For our preview of the trial, click here.
The government, too, has an alleged former client on the list. Prosecutors named military strategist Harlan Ullman, whom Palfrey identified as a client in court filings last April. Ullman, who is known for co-developing the "shock and awe" warfare strategy, has refused to respond to Palfrey’s allegations.
Neat aside: Bracewell & Giuliani’s Marc Mukasey, son of the attorney general, represented Ullman following Palfrey’s disclosure. In an e-mail, Mukasey told the BLT that he’s “no longer representing anyone in the matter."
And there is more.
Prosecutors say Palfrey received her cut through the mail from women who had customers in Virginia, Maryland and the District. Palfrey and her lawyers have said they intend to call customers to the stand.
Many of Palfrey's former escorts are expected to take the stand against her, several have been offered immunity by prosecutors. As WTOP news points out that this is the first time federal prosecutors in D.C. have ever used that tool [meaning federal racketeering statutes] in a prostitution case.
This is very unusual charges for this case. It will be interesting to see if the prosecutors can produce a timeline as evidence [ that's if the prosecutors have timeline] that can prove that Ms. Palfrey laundered money from her business for prostitution for 13 years.

2 comments:

PrissyPatriot said...

Yes, I'd like to see that timeline. A bit hard to believe they "just noticed" this going on after 13 years of paid taxes...

I theorize they (heavy hitter clients and prosecutable friends) are more concerned about their sex talks being made public-thinking she kept notes on them-you know, like they do other people!

SP Biloxi said...

"A bit hard to believe they "just noticed" this going on after 13 years of paid taxes..."

And also never being audited by th IRS for 13 years. The prosecutors know that they don't have a case. I have feeling that if the witnesses for the gov't don't produce for the jury that the gov't may try to sway in Ms. Palfrey's 1992 arrest which they can't do. Judge Robertson will not allow that into evidence. And I know that her attorney, Preston Burton, will make sure that she doesn't take the stand since the prosecution wants to use her 1992 arrest as evidence.