The top story of the week concerns Patrick Cannon, who was the mayor of Charlotte until he was arrested Wednesday on federal corruption charges. He resigned his post, as the News and Observer reports in detail here. Some commentators are predicting a trial, with the defense arguing either (a) entrapment or (b) that there was no quid pro quo, i.e., that the assistance Cannon allegedly offered to undercover FBI agents posing as real estate developers was not in exchange for the money he allegedly received from them. That’s certainly possible, but remember that 97% of federal criminal cases end in guilty pleas. In other news: Wake County District Attorney’s office transitions. Long-time Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby, who had already announced that he would not run for re-election this fall, will be leaving office early. According to this Triangle Business Journal story, he’ll be joining the “government regulatory and criminal investigations” team at the McGuireWoods law firm. Wake County District Court Judge Ned Mangum, who is running unopposed for re-election this fall, has been named the interim District Attorney by Governor Pat McCrory. WRAL has the story here. Federal judge weighs in on female lawyers’ attire. Shea blogged here about the recent brouhaha regarding how female lawyers dress. Federal district court judge Richard Kopf has joined the fray on his blog, in a post titled On being a dirty old man and how young women lawyers dress. Speaking of federal judges . . . former federal judge Paul Cassell writes [...]
Faculty Coordinators
