Posted on
April 17, 2012 in
• I wrote more than two years ago about Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. Last week he was disbarred.
I wrote:
Aside from the ethical question, there are practical considerations. These Maricopa County Assistant County Attorneys, casting their lot with Andrew Thomas, are lying down with dogs. If Arpaio and Thomas’s fantastical castle in the sky comes crashing to the ground, those lawyers are going to be remembered as having helped Arpaio and Thomas try to destroy the American system of government in Maricopa County. If Arpaio and Thomas’s delusions of grandeur are proven true—if the judiciary in Maricopa County becomes a lapdog or a nullity—those lawyers will be remembered as having helped Arpaio and Thomas succeed. Neither is a cheerful prognosis for their future outside of a totalitarian future; either way, Maricopa County’s Assistant County Attorneys wake up with fleas.
Along with Andrew Thomas, his henchman Lisa Aubuchon was disbarred. She has filed a notice of appeal. Former Deputy County Attorney Rachel Alexander was suspended from the practice of law for six months.
Among the findings against the three was that they filed criminal charges against a judge without probable cause and filed an incompetent, improper and frivolous racketeering lawsuit in federal court against judges and county officials.
I call that “fleas.”
• In connection with the contempt proceedings against two Harris County prosecutors and two court reporters arising out of the BAT van grand jury I predicted last November: “The contempt proceeding gets reset, and then reset again off-docket and quietly dropped.” In March the contempt allegations were quietly dropped by special prosecutor Chris Tritico. Here is defense lawyer Bill Hawkins’s motion to dismiss, which was written for an unknown audience (Hawkins didn’t know what judge would be hearing the case) and so is a good broad summary of Texas contempt law.
As I’m fond of saying, there is no such animal as an honest prosecutor. By their very nature they are sociopaths. Lacking a conscience, and not knowing the definition of empathy, they don’t recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victims as merely an instrument to be used as a furtherance of their own careers. Pathological liars, one and all. They have no problem lying coolly and easily, and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis, even with their own spouse, and even when lying serves no obvious purpose. They lie just to lie. And they often create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities (Don Hooper is a great example). They are completely lacking of remorse, shame or guilt and most have a deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, and is at their very core. They do not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who almost without exception ultimately end up as their victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way. When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and always, ALWAYS serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by small, insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises. They enjoy living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuous sex and gambling are common. Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others’ feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them, prosecutors thrive knowing they have unjustly ruined a life. Alcohol and drugs are often used to celebrate these dark victories, but gold coins have been known to be handed out in lieu of the alcoholic fanfare and partying.
How many of you prosecutors reading this see a mirror image of yourself? Now you know what you are.
I have never been a prosecutor, but it is difficult for me to believe that all shortcomings of the government are a result of psychopathy.