« Ind.Decisions - "Gay-rights article stirs debate over student freedoms" | Main | Ind. Law - More on SJR 7 »

Monday, March 26, 2007

Law - Remember how Perry Mason could tell what typewriter a note was written on?

Remember how Perry Mason could tell what typewriter a note was written on? Well, read on. Andrew Wolfson of the Louisville Courier Journal writes again today on the continuing fen-phen scandal in Kentucky. (For many earlier ILB entries, type "fen-phen" in the search box.) From today's story:

New evidence shows that prominent Cincinnati lawyer Stan Chesley was one of the "chief architects" of a scheme to defraud plaintiffs in Kentucky's multimillion-dollar case over the diet drug fen-phen, the lawyer who now represents most of them contends in court papers filed last week.

Chesley has contended that he had no direct contact with clients and merely served as the lawyer for the three Lexington attorneys later accused of plundering the $200 million settlement.

But a forensic computer expert's report "blows that position apart," according to a filing by Angela Ford, who has sued Chesley and the Lexington lawyers on behalf of more than 400 former clients.

The expert says that a letter sent to clients in 2002 was written on the computer of a lawyer in Chesley's firm.

Ford says in court papers that the report "proves beyond any doubt" that Chesley was a "co-conspirator" in what "appears to be the biggest theft in Kentucky history." * * *

Chesley has consistently contended he had no contact with the clients -- and therefore no legal duty to them.

But in the report, Stan Mitchell of Nashville's LogicForceConsulting, said his analysis of computers used by lawyers in the case shows that the April 7, 2002, letter to clients was written on the computer of Fay Stilz, an attorney in Chesley's firm. She didn't respond to a message left on her voice mail.

Here is the webpage of the computer forensics consultant. Fascinating.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 26, 2007 11:30 AM
Posted to General Law Related