The parallel similarities between the Robinson Bribery Case and Newsome Conspiracy Case are striking: the use (or abuse) of an African-American elected official, money funneled through a third party entity, contributions made, etc.
Although we are pleased that in a statement the leadership at Balch & Bingham vows to make sure partners are “adhering to the highest standards of legal and ethical compliance” throughout the firm, we feel the leaders also need to look at other unsavory conduct from the recent past unbecoming of a 95 year-old law firm.
Since early this year, we have asked Balch to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the firm and get rid of any bad apples. Instead, for over a month now, we have an active Star Chamber, a court holding secret proceedings with no public access or information, and possibly hiding unscrupulous and criminal conduct including perjury, in downtown Birmingham.
Why? Because of our exposure of the Newsome Conspiracy Case and powerful, maybe corrupt, political connections.
The Newsome Conspiracy Case exposed the most egregious conduct we have seen in which a Balch partner, Clark A. Cooper, and others were allegedly involved in a horrific conspiracy against Burt Newsome, a small-town attorney and father of four young children who was allegedly wrongly targeted, falsely arrested, and defamed.
Because of our efforts, Cooper (pictured above, upper left) was allegedly abruptly fired by Balch on March 3.
The judge hearing the Newsome case and who ordered the Star Chamber, without a hearing or no notice, is elected Judge Carole Smitherman (pictured above, bottom right). She sealed the public court documents on or about August 31st going back to the very inception of the case in 2015.
Smitherman received over $15,000 from BIZPAC, a PAC funded in part by Balch partners. Incredibly, Schuyler Allen Baker, Jr., Balch’s lead attorney on the Newsome Conspiracy Case, donated thousands of dollars to BIZPAC.
Balch leaders also say in their statement that they “are continuing to cooperate fully with government authorities.”
We ask them, we ask FBI Special Agent Angel Castillo, and U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town to investigate the Newsome matter; Balch’s relationship with BIZPAC and Judge Carole Smitherman; and bring this embarrassing, corrupt Star Chamber to an end.
