Lawyers of the Day: Drinkin’ on Company Time vs DUI + Lovechild
We couldn’t choose between these two possible Lawyers of the Day, so we’ll let them go head to head. You can decide who’s the more deserving honoree.
In one corner, we have John Newsome, a district attorney in Colorado. Sources inside and outside the district attorney’s office tipped off a local TV station to Newsome’s carousing during office hours. From the Colorado Springs Gazette:
The television station aired its report Tuesday night after filming Newsome on a “recent afternoon” as he drank three 20-ounce beers and a 10-ounce beer during “work hours” over the course of less than two hours at Oscar’s, a downtown Colorado Springs bar.Newsome was then shown heading back to his office. An hour later, he drove his El Paso County-owned SUV to another bar, according to KOAA.
There, Newsome was reportedly seen drinking four more pints with Assistant District Attorney Amy Mullaney and then driving away. Mullaney was also drinking with Newsome earlier that day at Oscar’s.
DA party-time! Woohoo. No criminal investigation, and he’s running unopposed for reelection in November. Lucky guy.
In the other corner, we have Vito Fossella, who has a law degree from Fordham University. He’s the U.S. congressman from New York who got busted for drunk driving in Virginia last week.
The DUI charge has led to the unraveling of his double life. Turns out the married father of three has a lady friend and lovechild in the D.C. region. From the New York Times:
Representative Vito J. Fossella, the Staten Island Republican who was arrested on drunken-driving charges in Virginia last week, acknowledged on Thursday that he had fathered a daughter, now 3, in an extramarital affair. But he declined to address questions about his political future.Mr. Fossella, who has three children with his wife on Staten Island, issued a terse statement that said nothing about the events leading to his arrest, which occurred hours after he attended a White House reception celebrating the New York Giants’ victory in the Super Bowl.
At least he wasn’t drinking during office hours.
Newsome: ‘I sincerely apologize’ [Colorado Springs Gazette]
‘POP’ GOES THE WEASEL VITO [New York Post]
Fossella Admits He Had an Extramarital Affair [New York Times]
(19) Comments
Comments
How is this even a contest?
How is this even a contest?
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That's easy, you just add a poll onto the end of the story. That makes it a contest.
Duh.
140 oz. of beer in an afternoon is nothing. When I party with my crew at the lake on long weekends, we'll toss back at least 200 oz. a day.
I withhold my vote until the respective waist sizes of these candidates are made available. 'tis the only rational way of determining who is the "Lawyer of the Day."
Definitely Newsome.
We hold our members of Congress to a decidedly low bar [pun intended]. Are you a Kennedy? OK; we'll disregard your DUIs and other drunken escapades (and maybe even a negligent homicide). Are you prone to "wide stances"? Whatever floats your boat--though, why why not try the D.C. madam next time, like everyone else. $80,000 in cash in a brown paper bag in your office freezer? Hey; just another day on the Hill.
But I'd like to think we expect a little better of our district attorneys. For, while members of Congress may pass resolutions establishing National Artichoke Day, a DA can throw you in the slammer.
I think a DA drinkin' on office time is alright, ho-hum, and no big deal. Tough job deserves tall coldies in the afternoon. This bud is for you hard working, ball bustin, district attorney.
It is sleazy to cheat on your wife. Vito gets my vote.
I withhold my vote until Kash posts those pics of her in a bikini
WTF is a 10-ounce beer?
How about a (dis)honorable mention for this guy?
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/05/09/2008-05-09_lawyer_in_murderforhire_scheme_gets_25_t.html
10-ounce beers are what is referred to as a lady's glass in ireland or sometimes a half-pint.
Half-pints can do the trick when you've already had a few and can't have more without being at risk of heading to the slammer but still want a drink to finish your conversation with.
5:10, that's about right. All ADA/ASA I know head to the bar in the middle of the afternoon as long as they are not on trial. Who cares, as long he's not drunk in court. It's not like they are billing time or anything.
the only professions that shouldn't be allowed to drink on the job are surgeons and long haul drivers. Everyone else, bottoms up
Vito may be more of a scumbag in his personal life, but Newsome got drunk *on the clock*. That means the taxpayers were paying him to go out and get sloshed. Vito at least has the good sense to indulge in his vices on his own time.
Also, anyone else wondering if the DA and ADA have a thing going on? Barhopping together during business hours? Maybe he blows Vito out of the water on both counts...
Question: What kind of job has Newsome's office done? For an answer, try http://bearingfalsewitness.blogspot.com/2008/05/john-newsome-amy-mullaney-poor.html.
I think its so funny that its always republicans getting caught doing shit like this
Newsome wins. You must remember that El Paso County is especially conservative. They prosecute everyone and everything--but then the D.A. drinks and drives and says that it is not a problem.
Gaius: "That means the taxpayers were paying him to go out and get sloshed."
Not exactly. It means the taxpayers were paying him to try cases, and because the taxpayers weren't committing enough crimes, he had time to down a few brews when the work was slow. Sounds good to me.
How can there be no comment from FRAT STUD on this? You'd think guys in his high school would have done this sort of stuff all the time, and that it would have been no big deal.
Obama=Tuvok/Spock