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‘Legal Sleaze’ – NY attorney allegedly tried bribing murder witness! Scott Brettschneider intended to profit by filing $22M wrongful conviction suit

&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpcnt">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpa">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<span class&equals;"wpa-about">Advertisements<&sol;span>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"u top&lowbar;amp">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<amp-ad width&equals;"300" height&equals;"265"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; type&equals;"pubmine"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-siteid&equals;"109460728"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-section&equals;"1">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;amp-ad>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div><div class&equals;"card-content align-left">&NewLine;<h6 class&equals;"spaced spaced-xl spaced-top spaced-bottom"><span style&equals;"color&colon; &num;000000&semi;"><strong>Queens lawyer allegedly tried bribing murder witness so he could file &dollar;22M wrongful conviction suit<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6 class&equals;"spaced spaced-xl spaced-top spaced-bottom"><span style&equals;"color&colon; &num;000000&semi;"><strong>Scott Brettschneider plotted to pay a murder witness to recant his trial testimony<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6 class&equals;"spaced spaced-xl spaced-top spaced-bottom"><span style&equals;"color&colon; &num;000000&semi;"><strong>Brettschneider hatched an audacious scam to free a convicted killer and rake in a windfall from a wrongful conviction suit &&num;8211&semi; prosecutors<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6 class&equals;"spaced spaced-xl spaced-top spaced-bottom"><span style&equals;"color&colon; &num;000000&semi;"><strong>Scott Brettschneider who represented Wayne Martin during his wrongful conviction case&comma; was indicted May 1 in the witness tampering plot<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6 class&equals;"spaced spaced-xl spaced-top spaced-bottom"><span style&equals;"color&colon; &num;000000&semi;"><strong>Brettschneider&comma; 61&comma; had been was arrested in March on unrelated charges of filing fake drug treatment records in a bid to spring a client from prison early<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<h6 class&equals;"spaced spaced-xl spaced-top spaced-bottom"><span style&equals;"color&colon; &num;000000&semi;"><strong> He has entere<&sol;strong><strong>d a plea of not guilty<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"collection collection-cards">&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<h6 data-page&equals;"1"><img class&equals;"alignnone wp-image-292523" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2018&sol;05&sol;Scott-Brettschneider-4&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Scott-Brettschneider 4&period;jpg" width&equals;"714" height&equals;"431" &sol;><strong>Lawyer accused of being shady&colon; Scott Brettschneider&comma; aka Mighty Whitey&&num;8217&semi; is embroiled in alleged witness tampering for a mega-payout<&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<p>New York based attorney Scott Brettschneider&comma; allegedly plotted to pay a murder witness to recant his trial testimony as part of an audacious scam to free a convicted killer and rake in big bucks from a wrongful conviction suit&comma; prosecutors say&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Prosecutors allege Brettschneider&comma; aka &&num;8216&semi;Mighty Whitey&&num;8217&semi;&comma; cooked up a fraudulent scheme to subvert the criminal justice system and make tens of millions in the process&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>The veteran Queens lawyer plotted to pay a murder witness to recant his trial testimony as part of an audacious scam to free a convicted killer&comma; then exploit the backend&comma; cashing in from a wrongful conviction suit&comma; prosecutors say&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>While the scheme was ultimately unsuccessful&comma; the very prospect troubles advocates who help the wrongfully convicted in their quest for freedom and compensation&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;This could be so damaging&comma;&&num;8221&semi; said Jon Eldan&comma; the director of After Innocence&comma; a re-entry and advocacy program&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<h6><img class&equals;"alignnone size-full wp-image-292524" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2018&sol;05&sol;Scott-Brettschneider-7&period;png" alt&equals;"Scott Brettschneider 7&period;PNG" width&equals;"682" height&equals;"626" &sol;><strong>Trial veteran  Scott Brettschneider&comma; &lbrack;left&rsqb;&comma; seen in court with his client Charles Gallman &lbrack;right&rsqb; who was  arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on July 16&comma; 2017&period; That case led to the witness tampering probe<br &sol;>&NewLine;<&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>In a letter to the judge requesting a high bond&comma; Brooklyn federal prosecutors outlined the alleged bogus exoneration scheme&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>Prosecutors say the attorney conspired with Charles Gallman&comma; a &&num;8220&semi;pseudo legal assistant&&num;8221&semi; with a rap sheet that includes murder and robbery&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>The feds say Gallman&comma; 56&comma; also has a history of bribing and intimidating witnesses for Brettschneider and other lawyers&period; Gallman and others are heard on the wiretaps referring to the lawyer as &&num;8220&semi;Mighty Whitey&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>The two men were caught on a wiretap in December 2014 strategizing about landing the convicted murderer as a client&comma; according to court papers&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Scott&comma; we gotta get this guy&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Gallman said of the unidentified inmate&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>Brettschneider agreed&period; &&num;8220&semi;Oh&comma; absolutely&comma;&&num;8221&semi; he replied&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>Gallman laid out a plan&colon; go to the trial witness who identified the shooter and get a statement about police coercion&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>Gallman even previewed a possible statement&period; &&num;8220&semi;he police told him to lie&comma; he better say it&&num;8217&semi;s this guy else they&&num;8217&semi;re gonna lock him up&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<p>The 61-year-old longtime attorney who has successfully represented people in wrongful Brooklyn convictions&comma; including Derrick Hamilton and Wayne Martin&comma; has entered a plea of not guilty in a potentially career ending probe&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<h6><strong><img class&equals;"alignnone size-full wp-image-292522" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2018&sol;05&sol;Scott-Brettschneider-6&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Scott Brettschneider 6&period;jpg" width&equals;"1200" height&equals;"843" &sol;><&sol;strong><strong>New  York attorney Scott Brettschneider&comma; &lbrack;left&rsqb;&comma; who represented Wayne Martin &lbrack;right&rsqb;&comma; during his wrongful conviction case&comma; is facing legal hurdles of his own<br &sol;>&NewLine;<&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<p>A second factor was critical to landing the client&colon; Gallman and Brettschneider would own the recantation&comma; forcing the convicted murderer to hire their firm&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;We got the statement&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Gallman said&period; &&num;8220&semi;He don&&num;8217&semi;t want us to do the s&&num;8212&semi; then I am keeping the statement&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Oh absolutely&comma;&&num;8221&semi; replied Brettschneider&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>Brettschneider&comma; who has taken more than 200 trials to verdict and has worked on at least two high-profile wrongful conviction cases&comma; described the case as a &&num;8220&semi;slam dunk&&num;8221&semi; and &&num;8220&semi;home run&&num;8221&semi; on wiretaps&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>Gallman was elated at the prospect of flooding the Queens County District Attorney&&num;8217&semi;s office with innocence cases&comma; prosecutors said&period; He and Brettschneider envisioned multimillion dollar settlements and early retirements&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;The two men started dreaming about how many millions of dollars the civil case would bring&comma;&&num;8221&semi; reads the prosecutors&&num;8217&semi; letter to the judge&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Brettschneider thought they could get a third of &dollar;22&comma;000&comma;000&comma; agreeing with Gallman that it could be their &&num;8216&semi;retirement money&period;'&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>But first they needed the witness to recant&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>In the following days&comma; detectives saw Brettschneider pick up Gallman in his car &&num;8211&semi; and then the witness&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>Later that day&comma; the wiretap picked up Gallman delivering a rave review of how the witness lied through his teeth in rehearsal&colon; &&num;8220&semi;The best recantation I ever heard&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;We got this money man we got this&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Gallman added&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>But an obstacle soon surfaced&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card card-captioned collection-item" data-type&equals;"image"><&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<h6><strong><img class&equals;"alignnone size-full wp-image-292521" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2018&sol;05&sol;Scott-Brettschneider-3&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Scott Brettschneider 3&period;jpg" width&equals;"1400" height&equals;"933" &sol;>Defense attorney Scott Brettschneider representing Tyrone Gainer&comma;  at NY State Supreme Court in Brooklyn&period; Gainer was was sentenced to 20 years to life for shooting an NYPD officer&&num;8217&semi;s boyfriend<br &sol;>&NewLine;<&sol;strong><&sol;h6>&NewLine;<p>The witness balked at committing his story to paper until he was paid upfront&period; He didn&&num;8217&semi;t want to be &&num;8220&semi;waiting waiting waiting&&num;8221&semi; for years while a lawsuit worked its way through the courts&period; Gallman promised some cash in the coming months&comma; but acknowledged that the six-figure payoff would take time&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;The money don&&num;8217&semi;t come till the lawsuit but we trying to get some upfront money&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Gallman said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;I plan all of us having six seven hundred thousand dollars out this s&&num;8212&semi; man&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>Prosecutors did not say how far Brettschneider and Gallman advanced the scheme&comma; if at all&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>Brettschneider was already looking at up to five years of his own prison time based on the indictment unsealed in March on unrelated charges&comma; this time for filing fake drug treatment records in a bid to spring a client from prison early&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>In that case&comma; Brooklyn federal prosecutors allege that Scott Brettschneider lied about a client&&num;8217&semi;s supposed drug problem to prison authorities in order to spring the man from prison early&period; Three other men were also charged in that case&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;<a title&equals;"Indictment of Scott Brettschneider 2" href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2018&sol;05&sol;Indictment-of-Scott-Brettschneider-2&period;pdf">Indictment of Scott Brettschneider 2<&sol;a><br &sol;>&NewLine;According to prosecutors&comma; the lawyer was in on the 2014 letter from his assistant&comma; who was fronting as Richard Marshall&&num;8217&semi;s treatment provider&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Marshall was in for crack cocaine distribution&comma; but he didn&&num;8217&semi;t have drug and alcohol problems&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Brooklyn U&period;S&period; Attorney Richard Donoghue said Brettschneider &&num;8220&semi;participated in a scheme to gain a narcotics trafficker early release from prison by falsely informing the Bureau of Prisons that he was a candidate for a drug rehab program&period;&&num;8221&semi;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Brettschneider pled not guilty and was released on &dollar;500&comma;000 bond&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>The feds say in their letter that Brettschneider will &&num;8220&semi;almost certainly be disbarred&&num;8221&semi; as a result of the case&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text"><&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text"><&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item" data-type&equals;"text">&NewLine;<div class&equals;" card-content ">&NewLine;<p>Gallman&comma; 56&comma; who was also indicted and pled not guilty in the fake drug treatment records case&comma; remains behind bars at the Metropolitan Correctional Center&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"card collection-item card-border-bottom card-border-bottom-thick card-border-bottom-dark" data-type&equals;"text"><&sol;div>&NewLine;

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