Ethics

Regarding Ben Kuehne, the Miami criminal defense lawyer who was criminally charged for rendering an ethics opinion approving of Roy Black's receipt of legal fees from an alleged drug kingpin: we've heard the extraordinary rumor -- we repeat "rumor" -- reported by the WSJ Law Blog is that DOJ has replaced the prosecutor and is considering dropping the charges.  If that really comes true, someone's career (the person who made the initial decision) should be effectively over.    . . . .    Regarding the motion filed by Enron's Jeff Skilling, alleging that the government's failure to turn over allegedly exculpatory interview notes: WSJ Law Blog reports that the government doesn't think the notes were that exculpatory.    . . . .    Regarding the Second Circuit appellate argument about the trial judge in the KPMG matter dismissing numerous claims because the government interfered with the defendants' ability to secure defense counsel: WSJ Law Blog reports that the government faced a skeptical and hostile panel.    . . . .    Regarding the Milberg Weiss saga, Mel Weiss pled (yes, "pled," not "pleaded") guilty, as reported by the WSJ Law Blog.    . . . .    Finally, here's a WSJ Law Blog story we didn't previously cover: USDC Judge Manual Real, who sits in LA, has been removed from a case on retrial.  I was on a trial team that tried a six-week case in LA before USDC Judge A. Andrew Hauk, so there's nothing Judge Real could do that would shock me.