It seems TB is tierist too, eh L2L? (speaking of which, where is L2L?)

I wonder if he started at 160K???

This item is in poor taste.

It will be interesting to see if anyone that was on board one of the flights with this guy contracts TB...and if they sue him for giving it to them. You sometimes hear of lawsuits for negligently infecting another with an STD because the perpetrator knew he/she had the disease and didn't inform the victim. What's any different here?

1:34 - what are you talking about? this is national news in every major outlet. And he is possibly the dumbest person alive having knowingly exposed hundreds of people to a deadly disease

Good point, 1:39. Speaker took that flight despite (1) knowing he had TB and (2) being told not to fly.

He's probably judgment proof.

Poor teste? Screw that. This guy knew he had TB, flew across the Atlantic anyway, was then told it was a rare and dangerous form of TB, and endangered the passengers on several other flights, all because he wanted to go home right now. He deserves everything get gets, which I suppose includes watching his career circle the drain as we speak.

that guy's a fucking. DOUCHEBAG.

1:34- I would almost agree that the item is in poor taste...it's almost like kicking the poor bloke while he's down, or smearing his name just because, but this article is in no more poor taste than the AP story. And the fact of the matter is that although he's the victim of media hysteria over the "disease spread worldwide via air travel" type scare, he did it to himself. You can't blame him for traveling before being told, but you can blame him for "being scared" of the Italians. What're they gonna do? They're not Americans- they're not going to ship you to an army base in another country.

He's HOT. I'd hit it - if it weren't for the deadly, drug-resistant TB.

This man is a menace.

if anyone deserves to be sued, it's this guy. what a complete idiot

Modern day Typhoid Mary….

God he's hot. I hope the doctors treating him take some liberties in "handling" him and "administering" all the necessary tests... You never know where in the body this evil strain of TB can be hiding or what physical acts best demonstrate recovery...

Folks-

Read the news stories. The CDC KNEW he had this and didn't quarantine him. That's because HE WAS NOT INFECTIOUS. He's a dumbass, yes, but if the CDC felt it necessary that he not fly, they would have told him explicitly not to fly (instead of just suggesting it), taken his passport (knowing he was intending to leave the country), put him on a no fly list or just held him.

He's not the only guy out there with this strain of TB. He just happened to be stupid as hell to get himself stuck in this morass.

And he's a PI lawyer to boot...ooohhh the irony.

I believe that his disregard for human life shows moral turpitude. He should hand in his bar license.

Let's see his wife, I bet she's hot but coughs alot.

Ok, thanks to 1:50's comment we know they've given this guy access to a computer.

Also, dumbass, they did put him on a no fly list. That's why he flew into Canada cause he was on a no fly list into the US.

He's a douche plain and simple.

I hope they disbar the jackass.

Super HOT! Even with TB.

i thought the CDC knew he had it and didn't quarantine him initially BECAUSE TTHEY THOUGHT THE DUMB FUCK WOULD TAKE MEDICAL ADVICE AND NOT TRAVEL

Have I told you about my stalker?

Listen 1:55 #2, if you're going to be a schmuck, perhaps you should get your facts straight. He was not on a no fly list until it was determined that he left the country. It was only at that point that he was put on the list. The CDC was in contact with him while he was in Italy and asked him to turn himself in to Italian officials. He didn't, apparently, because he was afraid he would get stuck there. The CDC initially told him that they did not have funding to fly him back to the States.

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/05/31/law-blog-lawyer-of-the-day-andrew-speaker-not/

@1:50 - they DID put him on the no-fly list. Good job, TSA. Your tax dollars at work. Further, he WAS told by officials not to fly - but he was already in Italy. How easy do you think it is for an Italian health official to take an American passport? And how do you think the CDC is going to stop him from flying over there? By putting him on the no-fly list... which they did. The guy is a complete moron.

@2:14, so this guy's professional judgment of Italy's healthcare and the risk he's exposing the rest of the passengers to justifies his decision to fly against the CDC's advice? Then to be a sneaky fuck about it and come back through Canada?

point is, they didn't put him on a no-fly list initially because they didn't want to overreact IF he voluntarily complied; once they saw he didn't, then they took action. the guy is a real POS

Is this the board for bashing women?

Ralbylove, you're intriguing.

Smooches ;-)

Ralbylove, you're intriguing.

Smooches ;-)

"This item is in poor taste."

Posting this comment on an ATL thread is like calling up Playboy to tell them that some of the people in the magazine aren't wearing any clothes.

The bride (widow-elect) is very pretty, too.

http://northfulton.com/1editorialbody.lasso?-token.folder=2007-04-19&-token.story=155981.112113&-token.subpub=

Wait until you hear about how my uncle was dipped in a vat of acid. Spicy!

Hey 1:50 #1, please stop encouraging them. I've already had to "produce" every type of bodily fluid imaginable, and I'm raw in parts unmentionable from the "physical tests." And the head resident is eying me like one of those guys from Deliverance (trust me, I'm from Georgia, I know the look).

You've got to be kidding me. The wife looks like what Lindsay Lohan's mom is going to look like in 20 years after all the coke and plastic surgery.

And, I agree with the majority opinion on this one: the dude is a complete moron.

Ralbylove may be intriguing but she sure has crap taste.

This guy looks like the pathetic tightass MBA candidates at the university I went to. The ones who never got laid.

Come to think of it, they were narcissistic sociopaths, too.

2:46, ROFL.... Yeah, it does say "A LEGAL TABLOID" at the top of the page....

And even the WSJ Law Blog, a respectable MSM blog, did an item on this (see link at 2:36).

People, you heard it here first: that hot guy/girl at the club might have a drug-resistant form of TB. So for the love of Grabthar, have them tested before a heavy makeout session!!!

I like the wife. But she does look older

Neither of them are good looking; they both look plastic and she wears way too much makeup.

Guess what?

This TB Attorney was getting married in Europe right?

I think his new father-in-law works for the CDC dealing with TB.

Just like all lawyers..out for themselves.

"This item is in poor taste," is the most idiotic comment I've ever heard. This is national news.

The item is in poor taste because Mr. Speaker was in poor taste for contracting TB and then trying to escape detection. Tut-tut, Andrew.

Who gets engaged in April and married in May?

people who are going to die form drug-resistant TB.

more people need to be talking about how his father-in-law is a TB researcher at the CDC. that's unreal.

Number 1 in teamocil.

INDICT HIM!

Is this the same TB wido to be?
http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/cs1315/uploads/Lab4.32.html

This is posted from a Georgia Tech Senior.

Maybe the new father-in-law didn't like him and exposed him to the super TB so he wouldn't live long enough to sire grandchildren.

Let's remember that this was how SARS was spread back in 2003, through airline travel.

anyone notice their website is down?
even not showing up on martindale.com's lawyer locator...I just wanted to wish him a speedy recovery in an email...

anyone notice their website is down?
even not showing up on martindale.com's lawyer locator...I just wanted to wish him a speedy recovery in an email...

So, anyone want to call daddy at work?

The Speaker Law Firm, PC
4651 Roswell Rd NE, Ste. D-302
Atlanta, Georgia 30342
(404) 531-9868

Next time, Andy should stay home and not possibly infect others

I really DO hope someone calls and checks on him...TB is very serious. I imagine they can use all the support and words of encouragement they can get.

6:49, are you fucking kidding me? You feel bad for him? He willfully and knowingly exposed HUNDREDS of innocent people to a potentially deadly virus. PEOPLE MAY DIE as a DIRECT result of his selfishness.

I don't feel an ounce of pity for him.

Im just wondering if his wife gave it to him or if she even knew he had it. Considering that her father studies this disease, something isn't adding up.

Lawyer of the Day, huh? I tell you what: the Lawyer of the Day would be any attorney whom will be hired to sue the pants off this jerk!!!

Lawyer of the Day, huh? I tell you what: the Lawyer of the Day would be any attorney whom will be hired to sue the pants off this jerk!!!

No win situation for him

Are you guys completely mental? This guy was specifically told that he was not contageous or at risk to anyone, not even his family. he slept by his wife and was with his kids, don't you think he'd care about them too? Don't you realize that he's getting the low end of the stick?

also, the only way he could be treated and not die was in Denver, in United States. he found that out when he was in Italy. If you were told you were going to die, even though you weren't contageous to other peope or not at risk, wouldn't you fly over?

Sure, now they say he's at risk and contageous and now everyone is taking the wrong side of this. This lawyer is not getting the right coverage, he was lied to, isolated in a foreign country without any emergency private flight to take him to Denver to save his life.

And all you guys can do is complain about other people who might (might NOT!) even have this disease? He barely got married, his poor wife loves him, and he can't even kiss her now because he's isolated.

He's been cheated, and don't you dare go against him. He's the one that should sue the health officials for lying to him. He's giving a public appology, so if you haven't seen it I strongly suggest you do before posting even more on this article.

You all should be ashamed of yourselves for talking before doing the research.

He is NOT hot. That is a really old photo taken on the day he looked the best in his life. Trust me, I know him, and he is smarmy and not good-looking. His fiance (or maybe wife - although they didn't have the correct papers to get married in Greece) is a DOG.

This guy should be locked up for all eternity. No chance for any kind of defence, trial or otherwise. They told him he had XDR TB and were trying to get him home, told him to report to a hospital untill they could. So what does this brain fart do, he flies to annother country to avoid being quarantiened, then flys back on another flight to canada. Then drives back in to the USA infecting god only knows how many people allong the way.

This guy is a terrorist, plain and simple and should be treated as same. He is no different then one of bin ladens thugs walking into a location with some form of biological weapon.

There is another person involved: "The inspector ran Speaker's passport through a computer, and a warning _ including instructions to hold the traveler, don a protective mask in dealing with him, and telephone health authorities _ popped up, officials said. About a minute later, Speaker was instead cleared to continue on his journey, according to officials familiar with the records." Looks like he shouldn't have been cleared and was. hxxp://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2007/05/31/677696.html

THE MAN IS A SCUMBAG AND SHOULD BE PUT IN JAIL EVEN IF NO ONE GETS TB. HE RECKLESSLY ENDANGERED THE LIVES OF HUNDREDS, IGNORED ORDERS FROM AUTHORITIES, AND SNUCK INTO OUR COUNTRY ILLEAGALLY. HE IS A SELF SERVING SCUMBAG. AND THIS ARTICLE PRAISING HIM MAKES ME SICK!!!! I WONDER WHAT THE AUTHOR WOULD HAVE TO SAY IF HIS WIFE AND NEWBORN BABY WERE SITTING NEXT TO THIS CREEP....I BET THE ARTICLE WOULD BE A BIT DIFFERENT.

The ease with which Mr. TB Andy was able to board seven flights (even though his name was on a no-fly list) and skip back across the Canadian/US border with seemingly little or no difficulty makes me wonder just how much of Daddy Speaker's ill-gotten PI swag had to be surreptitiously stuffed into the hot greasy palms of the compromised ticket agents and borders guards who enabled the globe-hopping exploits of this narcissistic little dweeb.

@5:28 Sure. He had no idea anything was wrong. That is why he criss-crossed Europe evading authorities, flew into Canada, and drove across the border. Maybe he forgot to click 'direct flight only' on priceline??

This guy is scum.

I've read many comments about Andrew Speaker. Yes, I understand that he's done a very dangerous thing, putting thousands of people in danger. This cannot be forgiven but it can be understood. I've noticed that none of the comments have noted that this man was traveling to his own wedding.
Perhaps this was a great love and in the history of all the foolish and criminal things men have done for love, this is hardly one of the worst. It does not mean that love excuses crime or foolishness. I've found this book called It Is Not Too Late at itisnottoolate.com that talks about biological war and this type of spread of infections. In the end, even as we blame him, we have to also understand him.

Yeah 10:06, we all understand him. He's an idiot who didn't stop for a moment to think of anyone else other than himself, his bride, and the money the parents would lose if the wedding didn't go forward.

And don't think for a second that the parents weren't involved in the decision making, after all, they are the ones who were paying for the wedding.

This had nothing to do with love. It had everything to do with greed and selfishness.

The poster by the name of “Ralbylove” is in no way associated with the individual named Ian M. Ralby, but is instead an alias created without the consent of Mr. Ralby.

@10:06

I'm sure you'd understand him, even if he was sitting next to you on the flight, with your wife and children?
Right?
No stress, then, just understanding.

He's a scumbag