HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_023104.jpg
2.52 MB
Extraction Summary
2
People
3
Organizations
4
Locations
1
Events
1
Relationships
4
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
Interview transcript / web article printout
File Size:
2.52 MB
Summary
This document is page 3 of an interview with high-profile defense attorney Reid Weingarten (who represented Jeffrey Epstein during his 2008 plea negotiations, though Epstein is not mentioned on this specific page). Weingarten discusses his defense strategy for BP following the Gulf oil spill, detailing how he ignored consultant advice during jury selection in New Orleans and achieved an acquittal. He also discusses his philosophy on prosecutors and his refusal to rehearse opening statements for clients. The document bears a House Oversight Committee Bates stamp.
People (2)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Reid Weingarten | Interviewee / Defense Attorney |
Discussing legal strategy, jury selection, and professional philosophy. Referred to as 'RW' and 'Reid'.
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| LD | Interviewer |
Likely a reporter for Litigation Daily, asking questions about trial preparation.
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Organizations (3)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| BP |
British Petroleum; discussed in relation to the oil spill and subsequent litigation.
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|
| Litigation Daily |
Source of the article (implied by URL).
|
|
| House Oversight Committee |
Implied by the Bates stamp 'HOUSE_OVERSIGHT'.
|
Timeline (1 events)
Locations (4)
| Location | Context |
|---|---|
|
Location of jury selection for the BP trial.
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Gulf of Mexico, site of the oil spill.
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Mentioned as the origin of 'fancy white lawyers'.
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Mentioned in the context of prosecutor jury selection habits.
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Relationships (1)
Weingarten discusses picking a jury for the BP case.
Key Quotes (4)
"BP had pleaded guilty to the very same conduct and paid $4 billion."Source
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Quote #1
"I picked a jury and I did exactly the opposite, because my gut was that a sophisticated person near the water who is familiar with the industry will appreciate how difficult it is to drill these wells."Source
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Quote #2
"There are clients who say, 'I want to hear your opening before you make it.' I say, 'Get another lawyer.'"Source
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Quote #3
"When prosecutors are striking all the lawyers and accountants and college-educated people... what they want is to rely on visceral hatred for the target and also a visceral reliance on Uncle Sam, as opposed to the facts."Source
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Quote #4
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (3,174 characters)
White Collar Titan Reid Weingarten on Juries Clients and the Scariest Federal Prosecutor... Page 3 of 5
much oil was coming out of the hole after the explosion. BP had pleaded guilty to the very
same conduct and paid $4 billion. That was not a positive piece.
same conduct and paid $4 billion. That was not a positive piece.
I was told by everybody that BP was loathed in New Orleans. So now I have to pick a jury in
New Orleans for the very same conduct the company pleaded guilty to. And BP had paid a
zillion dollars to every fisherman and stripper in New Orleans who claimed the spill
prevented them from earning a living. But now, BP was getting pissed off that they were
getting ripped off, and were pulling back. In addition to being hated for killing all the pelicans
and ruining tourism and fishing, now they’re pulling back on their largesse.
New Orleans for the very same conduct the company pleaded guilty to. And BP had paid a
zillion dollars to every fisherman and stripper in New Orleans who claimed the spill
prevented them from earning a living. But now, BP was getting pissed off that they were
getting ripped off, and were pulling back. In addition to being hated for killing all the pelicans
and ruining tourism and fishing, now they’re pulling back on their largesse.
So I have to pick a jury. We had all the consultants you can imagine. The common wisdom
was, don’t pick anybody close to the gulf, because anyone close to the explosion will hate
BP, and don’t take African-Americans because they hate fancy white lawyers from
Washington, blah blah blah.
was, don’t pick anybody close to the gulf, because anyone close to the explosion will hate
BP, and don’t take African-Americans because they hate fancy white lawyers from
Washington, blah blah blah.
I picked a jury and I did exactly the opposite, because my gut was that a sophisticated
person near the water who is familiar with the industry will appreciate how difficult it is to drill
these wells. If you have 100 deep sea wells in the gulf, every once in a while, you’re going to
have an accident.
person near the water who is familiar with the industry will appreciate how difficult it is to drill
these wells. If you have 100 deep sea wells in the gulf, every once in a while, you’re going to
have an accident.
And there’s no reason to assume that the rest of the population, no matter what their
background or color, wouldn’t strive to be fair. I also thought I had the upper hand in that I
didn’t think my client was guilty of anything, so I went against the grain.
background or color, wouldn’t strive to be fair. I also thought I had the upper hand in that I
didn’t think my client was guilty of anything, so I went against the grain.
You have standard thinking among most defense counsel on jury selection, and this is an
instance where I threw it out, and the jury came back in about two seconds and acquitted. I
was lucky and right.
instance where I threw it out, and the jury came back in about two seconds and acquitted. I
was lucky and right.
It’s interesting to see who wants the smart jurors. Sometimes prosecutors want the smart
jurors, sometimes I want the smart jurors. That is an indication of who thinks they have the
righteous case. When prosecutors are striking all the lawyers and accountants and college-
educated people, and—in New York City this happens—they want doormen and bus drivers,
what they want is to rely on visceral hatred for the target and also a visceral reliance on
Uncle Sam, as opposed to the facts.
jurors, sometimes I want the smart jurors. That is an indication of who thinks they have the
righteous case. When prosecutors are striking all the lawyers and accountants and college-
educated people, and—in New York City this happens—they want doormen and bus drivers,
what they want is to rely on visceral hatred for the target and also a visceral reliance on
Uncle Sam, as opposed to the facts.
When that happens, I want to blow my brains out, because that’s not how prosecutors
should behave. Prosecutors always should have the righteous case, and it should only be
crafty defense attorneys who want to obscure the facts. When I want the smart jurors
because I think I have a righteous case, that case never should have been brought.
should behave. Prosecutors always should have the righteous case, and it should only be
crafty defense attorneys who want to obscure the facts. When I want the smart jurors
because I think I have a righteous case, that case never should have been brought.
These days I find that to be the case many times.
LD: How do you prepare for court? Do you rehearse what you’re going to say?
RW: I can’t prepare that way. There are clients who say, "I want to hear your opening before
you make it." I say, "Get another lawyer."
you make it." I say, "Get another lawyer."
This is not good or bad, it’s just Reid. I can’t say the same thing twice, and I cannot read a
speech. It’s not how I work with information.
speech. It’s not how I work with information.
http://www.litigationdaily.com/printerfriendly/id=1202736534962
9/8/2015
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_023104
9/8/2015
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_023104
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