Thursday, September 8, 2011

DA Jim Martin is the Monty Hall of 'Let's Make a Plea Deal' w/ Criminals


[Attorney Gavin P. Holihan responds, see comments]

Clyde Lont shot David Rivera 7 times, and killed him.

Clyde Lont's pre-meditated lookout helper Matthew Hendricks was convicted at trial of only third degree murder (notice how The Morning Call's helpful headline up-plays it as just "murder.")

"Amazingly" (in the word of sentencing Judge James T. Anthony), 7-time shooter/murderer Clyde Lont was somehow able to make one heck of a "bargain" (again, Judge Anthony's word) sweetheart plea deal w/ DA Jim Martin:

Triggerman Clyde Lont only got third degree murder, too.

You can read LVS's exclusive exposé on DA Jim Martin's mockery of justice, here ...


GROSS INJUSTICE MYSTERY SOLVED?

Readers, the criminal defense attorney who arranged Clyde Lont's "amazing" "bargain" plea deal w/ DA Jim Martin is Gavin P. Holihan.

Gavin P. Holihan sits on the Host Committee of the Committee to Reelect Jim Martin District Attorney.

Yep.

I have the 'smoking gun' hard copy to prove it, if anyone from the local media would like to examine it.

19 comments:

Bill Villa said...

Readers ...

Members of DA Jim Martin's reelection Finance Committee include Abe Atiyeh, Dexter Baker, Dean Browning, Greg Butz, Judge Edward Cahn, Jack Daddona, Mike Keenan, Jamie Musselman, Joseph Fitzpatrick, Esq., David Jaindl, Mark Lieberman, Wm. Platt, Esq., Charles Snelling, Matthew Sorrentino, Esq., John Waldron, Esq., Wayne Woodman & Lisa Scheller.

Members of DA Jim Martin's reelection Host Committee include Air Products PAC, Angelo Almonti, Esq., Dr. John Altobelli, State Rep Pat Browne, Lee Butz, Congressman Charlie Dent, The Very Rev. Daniel G. Gambet, Sally Gammon, Elmer Gates, Malcolm J. Gross, Esq., Rev. Grant E. Harrity, William Heydt, Gavin P. Holihan, Esq., Tony Iannelli, Bob Lovett, Dr. Raymond Singer, A. Renee Smith, Esq., Robert G. Tallman, Esq., Judge Thomas A. Wallitsch, and John Yurconic.

Anonymous said...

Unbelievable that the Morning Call ignores this scandal. But then again, maybe it is old news that the DA's office is corrupt.

Bill Villa said...

Yeah. Well said.

--------

Email, Incoming, from admitted regular LVS reader (merci) and attorney Gavin P. Holihan.

Sept 8, 2011, 12:37pm

Mr. Villa,

Thank you for the invitation to comment on your upcoming blog post. I do not believe there is anything inappropriate about a defense attorney contributing to the campaign of a person running for district attorney or any other office. It is legal, it is ethical and my contribution to Jim Martin’s campaign was done publicly and openly with no deception. Of course, seeking to prohibit one from making a campaign contribution which is otherwise legal, would be an obvious violation of one’s Constitutional rights if done by the Government. There are laws and rules in place to make sure any campaign contributions are open to public scrutiny. The very fact that you contacted me about my contribution is evidence of this. If I am not mistaken, my name was openly listed on the printed materials for the event you asked about.

Of course there is nothing inappropriate about those people most involved in the criminal justice system making campaign contributions to those running for elected office in the system.

The insinuation that there was an unethical connection between my campaign contribution and the plea agreement in the Clyde Lont case is untethered to reality. On the basest level, the plea agreement in the Lont case provides me with no benefit. I accepted the Lont case as a court appointment. I was paid an hourly rate that was authorized by Judge Anthony only. If a financial windfall was what I was after; a trial, rather than a plea, would have been more lucrative.

On a more realistic level, the final plea agreement in the Lont case was a reflection of the evidentiary weight of the case and how each side perceived the likelihood of success. Such calculations cannot easily be summarized and therefore I won’t attempt to do so here. However, the final plea agreement was approved by Judge Anthony and I am confident, as I assume you are, that if the plea agreement was improper or unethical, Judge Anthony would not have approved it.

I understand that the process of plea agreements is distasteful to many people, but I believe it has become a necessary part of our criminal justice system. There are certainly adequate arguments against the state of our current system without adding manufactured issues such as the “appropriateness” of a criminal defense attorney exercising his First Amendment Rights.

I understand from reading your blog in the past that you have a certain view of things and your position on the Lont case is probably colored by those views. I would not agree with you, however, that there is anything inappropriate about me making a campaign contribution to Jim Martin nor was there any connection between that contribution and the plea agreement in the Lont case.

There are a number of legitimate concerns with the criminal justice system, both locally and nationally, but I do not think that this is one of them.

-Gavin Holihan
phone: 610.841.xxxx

Bill Villa said...

My emailed response ...

Gavin, allow me to tether you to some reality.

In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that campaign donations can create "a serious risk of actual bias" in judicial rulings. See: Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co.

In fact, Arizona, Utah, California, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Washington have all adopted new or revised codes of judicial conduct relating to disqualification when judges know or are made aware upon timely motion that a party, lawyer [e.g., a DA] or a law firm has made contributions to the judge’s [or DA's] campaign.

New York is the most recent state to start the process of ending the type of colluding crony, old boy network back-scratching and cash-swapping that you perceive as appropriate and normal.

See: Proposed New York Rule on Judicial Disqualification Due to Campaign Contributions

Gavin, dinosaurs like you and Jim Martin are standing in harm's way of the law's swinging pendulum, and it's only a matter of time until it knocks you on your ass like I just did.

Thanks for reading LVS.

Bill Villa
610.428.xxxx

455 W. Hamilton said...

"Of course there is nothing inappropriate about those people most involved in the criminal justice system making campaign contributions to those running for elected office in the system." -Gavin Holihan

Angie Villa said...

Related Story ;D

Bill Villa said...

Another > Related Story

The City Official said...

Don't forget this one ...

Anonymous said...

Bottom Line: Jim Martin is a lousy D.A. and the "Lee Butz's" of Lehigh County should be ashamed of themselves for supporting him.

McJudas said...

Ditto The Morning Call "newspaper."

Bill Villa said...

Email, Incoming, from embarrassingly out-gunned (not a threat) debater, hanging-on-every-keystroke LVS reader, and attorney (for now) Gavin P. Holihan.

Mr. Villa, My apologies, I thought you were interested in an honest discussion of the issues.

I am familiar with the Massey case which involved contributions to a judicial campaign. You asked me about the appropriateness of my contribution to Jim Martin's campaign. It was legal, ethical and proper. It complied with all applicable laws and ethical guidelines. If and when those laws and guidelines change, I will abide by those new rules. I think it is good to have people like you watching the system. But I don't know what you mean by your closing comment. have a nice day.

-Gavin Holihan

LVS SiteMeter(R) Spotlight said...

Readers, not surprisingly, the IP address "LehighCounty.org" is spotted stalking LVS for damaging and exposed dirty facts hundreds or more times each day, and these gold-bricking folks would of course include DA Jim Martin, "Executive Aide" (wink wink) Debbie Garlicki, County Executive (for now) Don Cunning-Ham, DA Jim Martin shield/sycophant/notary Merrily Starkey, Detective Dennis Steckel, and Chief Deputy DA Dog Renee Smith among others (e.g., judges McGinley, and Reibman).

Domain Name > ptd.net
IP Address > 204.186.62.# (PenTeleData)
Host > LehighCounty.org
City > Allentown, PA

Time of Visit > Sep 8 2011 2:26:30

Visit Length > 1 hour 9 minutes 33 seconds

Out Click > Ed Koren for Lehigh County District Attorney

Bill Villa said...

Outrageous. More on this later ...

Related Story

Anonymous said...

"On the basest level, the plea agreement in the Lont case provides me with no benefit." -Gavin Holihan

I can think of one...attracting wealthy gang-banger clients who'd love to know a lawyer who's owed some favors from DA Jim Martin. Just sayin'.

Bill Villa said...

Touché.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps Mr. Holihan would care to divulge why he chose to contribute to DA Martin? If it is so legal, ethical, and proper then he should have nothing to hide. What do you say Mr. Holihan?

Bill Villa said...

Excellent question ... WHY did Attorney Gavin P. Holihan contribute to DA Jim Martin's reelection campaign.

Well, we know Attorney (for now) Holihan is a regular reader of LVS, hopefully he'll answer your excellent question, 11:15.

In the meantime, I think LVS should pose the same WHY question to these people ...

Members of DA Jim Martin's reelection Finance Committee include Abe Atiyeh, Dexter Baker, Dean Browning, Greg Butz, Judge Edward Cahn, Jack Daddona, Mike Keenan, Jamie Musselman, Joseph Fitzpatrick, Esq., David Jaindl, Mark Lieberman, Wm. Platt, Esq., Charles Snelling, Matthew Sorrentino, Esq., John Waldron, Esq., Wayne Woodman & Lisa Scheller.

Members of DA Jim Martin's reelection Host Committee include Air Products PAC, Angelo Almonti, Esq., Dr. John Altobelli, State Rep Pat Browne, Lee Butz, Congressman Charlie Dent, The Very Rev. Daniel G. Gambet, Sally Gammon, Elmer Gates, Malcolm J. Gross, Esq., Rev. Grant E. Harrity, William Heydt, Gavin P. Holihan, Esq., Tony Iannelli, Bob Lovett, Dr. Raymond Singer, A. Renee Smith, Esq., Robert G. Tallman, Esq., Judge Thomas A. Wallitsch, and John Yurconic.

Consigliere said...

Careful Bill..your always polite inquiries could be spun into (wink wink) "harassment" again.

Bill Villa said...

I'm not worried.