Dewey & LeBoeuf Case to be Retried

Not surprisingly, New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance's office has announced it will after a hung jury retry, albeit in slimmed-down form with fewer defendants and counts, the criminal case involving the defunct firm of Dewey & LeBoeuf's alleged misrepresentations in seeking financing during its desperate dying days.  Prosecutors rarely admit defeat in big cases after a single hung jury.  Double jeopardy does not apply.

The major defendant, against whom (as often happens with the highest-ranking officer) there is the least evidence, Steven H. Davis, its former chair,  has been pared from the case and apparently will receive a deferred prosecution.  "Deferred prosecutions" are rarely, if ever previously, given to individuals by New York state prosecutors, at least by that name.  Although the terms have not been announced, this disposition, I suspect will essentially be just a dismissal dressed up so that the prosecutor can save some face and not admit a total loss.

The prosecutor, as is a custom in New York County, announced publicly on the record his plea offers to the three defendants remaining.  I find this custom repugnant and sometimes in return I announce the defendant's terms for a final disposition -  such as, a dismissal, an apology by the prosecutor and a testimonial dinner in the defendant's honor.

The plea offers here were a felony plea with a one-to-three year jail term to Joel Sanders, a felony plea with 500 hours of community service to Stephen DiCarmine, both of whom spent six months at the trial that ended in  a hung jury, and a misdemeanor plea with 200 hours of community service, to Zachary Warren, who was severed and has not yet gone to trial.  I would not be surprised if these cases were settled before trial, not necessarily at the offered price.