A Florida lawyer, Vincent C. Rowley, was found not guilty of bribery charges earlier this week. The case involved an "envelope stuffed with cash [$3,000] wrapped inside a newspaper" given by the attorney to a bankruptcy trustee. This fact was not disputed.
The prosecution argued it was a bribe for bankruptcy referrals.
Mr. Rowley's defense lawyer successfully argued it was a referral fee based on a referral on an earlier personal injury case.
While the lawyer was found not guilty the takeaway for all lawyers should be: Do not pay referral fees to government employees in cash wrapped inside a newspaper unless you want to experience what it is like to be a client needing good criminal defense.
Source: The Tampa Bay Tribune
