Thursday, May 17, 2012

Siegelman Judge Faces Divorce Complaint That Hints At Extramarital Affairs, Drug Use

Judge Mark Fuller

Mark Fuller, the federal judge who presided over the prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman, faces a divorce complaint that strongly hints at extramarital affairs, illicit drug use, driving under the influence, and other misconduct.

Lisa Boyd Fuller filed for divorce on May 10, 2012, and court filings since then point to serious allegations against her husband. (See the divorce complaint at the end of this post.) Will the divorce case raise questions about Mark Fuller's fitness to be a U.S. district judge? Will it provide an avenue for Siegelman and codefendant Richard Scrushy to have their convictions overturned?

It's too early to know the answers to those questions. But Bob Martin, editor of the Montgomery Independent, shows in an article published yesterday that the divorce case might raise significant trouble for Fuller, a George W. Bush appointee who oversaw what has been described as the most notorious political prosecution in American history.

At the heart of the Fuller divorce case is an alleged affair between the judge and a female court deputy. From Bob Martin's article:

Divorce can be triggered by many reasons but it is usually initiated, not by a single event, but a long-term abuse of trust. The long term abuse of trust by Judge Fuller, described to me from sources inside the United States Courthouse in Montgomery and others continues today, and has lasted at least four-to-five years. It involves a former female courtroom deputy in her late thirties with children ages 9 and 14. Her husband obtained a divorce several months ago. Fuller and his wife separated last August. They have two grown children and one teenager. 

During most of the time this “not-so-secret affair" was going on, Fuller was the presiding judge of the U. S. District Court based in Montgomery. He rotated into that position the third year after he was appointed by President George W. Bush, and completed his seven-year term a year-and-a-half ago. He presided in the trial of former Gov. Don Siegelman and Richard Scrushy.

In a companion piece to his column, Martin identifies Fuller's mistress as a woman named Kelli Gregg. From the Martin report:

Those in a position to know, report that the affair by Judge Fuller, conducted with his former Courtroom Deputy Clerk and bailiff, Kelli Gregg, has been ongoing for four or five years and is basically an “open secret” in the building. Ms. Gregg, who has two children, was divorced by her husband about six months ago. 
Sources in a position to know tell the newspaper that Fuller and Gregg have traveled together extensively, including trips to Dothan, New York, Tallahassee and perhaps Las Vegas.

Scott Horton, legal affairs contributor at Harper's, has written extensively about the Siegelman case and Fuller's apparent conflicts of interest. What might the allegations of an affair mean for Fuller? Martin put that question to Horton and received this answer:

“When a judge uses his position to extract sexual favors from a court officer under his authority, such conduct could easily be viewed as predatory and possibly even criminal but it doesn’t necessarily follow that because a sexual liaison has arisen that the person in a senior position used his office to advantage. The facts would have to be studied more carefully. But even if the relationship were purely innocent, one would have to be worried about the unwholesome appearance of a federal judge engaging in a sexual tryst with his court officer."

Issues raised in Lisa Boyd Fuller's court filings go well beyond an affair. (See Ms. Fuller's interrogatories for her husband at the end of this post.) Writes Martin:

In her complaint Lisa Fuller asks for the following admissions by her husband. They include these topics: extramarital affairs, parenting, driving under the influence of alcohol, withholding documents, payment of expenses for persons with whom he was having sex, spousal abuse, receipt of psychological care or counseling, and addiction to prescription drugs. To my knowledge the answers to those questions had not been filed at the time this column was written.

All of this could raise profound questions for parties who came before Fuller--and for those who worked with and around him in Montgomery's federal courthouse. From Scott Horton, via Bob Martin's piece:

The current allegations of abuse of office and subpoenas for prescription drugs at numerous pharmacies could possibly bring into question every judgment he has issued and every trial over which he has presided. Keep in mind, of course, that these are yet only allegations which may not ultimately bear out. 
Another issue would be whether others close to the court knew of his indiscretions and used them to extort favorable court decisions. There are several prior cases, including one still under investigation involving a federal judge in Florida, in which a judge had a secret liaison with a court officer and other parties, which was apparently used to extort favorable rulings. In the Fuller matter it would be hard to see how the U. S. Attorney’s office would not know about the affair. If the U. S. Attorney knew and did nothing, holding this as a sort of a sword over the judge’s head, such would undermine the legitimacy of all the criminal matters and some civil matters involving government interests that came before Fuller.

The U.S. attorney in question, of course, is notorious Bush appointee Leura Canary, who served for more than two years of the Obama administration and took a job with the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) earlier this year under curious circumstances.

The Fuller divorce case also might shine light on the judge's ownership interest in Doss Aviation, a Colorado-based company that has received numerous lucrative government contracts. Under the law, Doss Aviation is likely to be seen as a marital asset that is to be divided equitably--and Lisa Boyd Fuller, understandably, will want her share. That might shine unwelcome light on Fuller's ties to a company that has benefited greatly from federal dollars, calling into question the judge's objectivity on many cases that come before him. Again from Horton, via Bob Martin:

Aside from this we have to take into account the unprecedented circumstance of Fuller’s ownership in Doss Aviation, a major source of his income, perhaps more so than his judicial salary. Doss Aviation appears to benefit from a steady stream of Department of Defense and other federal contracts some awarded on no-bid contracts under highly suspicious circumstances. 
These ethics issues surrounding a single judge, Mark Everett Fuller, are to my knowledge, without any equal on the federal bench.

Is Mark Fuller a compromised judge of epic proportions? That's what Scott Horton seems to be saying. And Lisa Boyd Fuller's divorce case might help prove it.

What does all of this mean? For an excellent overview of the Fuller divorce story and its many implications, I strongly recommend the most recent piece by Andrew Kreig, at the Justice-Integrity Project. You can check it out at the following link:

Andrew Kreig: Alabama Judicial Scandal Could Taint Many Cases, Not Just Siegelman's


(Photo: Phil Fleming)

  Mark Fuller Divorce Complaint
Mark Fuller Divorce Interrogatories

9 comments:

James Greek said...

If I ever become president, I am going to change the rules when it comes to federal judges.

Anonymous said...

Priceless LS.

This work is beyond the concept of stellar, just think, we may see some changes in the Federalists' Society.

Perhaps the conflicts of interest, why these public employees can ride so high on their services to the "bench," WOW, what it is, R.I.C.O.

Maybe once we get to demand a complete psychological profile test and of course the fullest and most comprehensive drug testing, as well as the transparency of any and all conflicts in the "money," perhaps the idea of JUSTICE?

Truth in the exposure begs for more deeper probing into the hidden hand of the market, wherein the judges appear very connected, be it BIG PHARMA to do the job of criminal enterprising, steroids for predatory "courage?"

What can we actually discover in the "neo liberal" brand to sell us the age old colonial esquires' cannibalizing as predictable.

Every JUSTICE in America needs to prove CLEAN HANDS.

Thanks for the strokes of genius that just keep on giving.

Roberta

legalschnauzer said...

Roberta:

Citizens might sometimes forget that RICO stands for Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations. It's about organized crime, and our courtrooms and law firms are infested with it. Fuller is far from alone. I've seen signs of organized crime in my own case, from U.S. District Judge William Acker--and U.S. Circuit Judge Joel Dubina covering for him. These problems run deep and they are not limited to the Don Siegelman case, even though it has been a great travesty and deserves national attention.

James Greek said...

I grew up in Coffee County and it is the worst county in the state when it comes to drugs.

David said...

To paraphrase an old song - :Divorce is in the Air...."

First we had Karl Rove and Darby Hickson Rove getting a divorce.

Then we have Bill Canary, Karl Rove's butt boy and President of the BCA and Leura Canary, former US Attorney, getting a divorce. Then Leura get a job in the legal division at RSA.

The next story also from the Montgomery Independent, concerning Mark Reynolds' sudden departure as #2 man at RSA. Whether this is a trial separation or divorce for Mark Reynolds and David Bronner is just something we will have to wait and see.

Then the is the wild rumor that Gov. Bentley and his chief of staff David Perry have broken up housekeeping. Another rumor has Perry becoming #2 at RSA.

Now we read in the Montgomery Independent that Mark Everett Fuller and his wife Lisa Boyd Fuller are in the midst of a very nasty divorce. Like the Mark Reynolds story, no other print paper in Alabama has reported this story. Let's all give Bob Martin a big hand.

What's next.....

jeffrey spruill said...

extramarital affairs, parenting, driving under the influence of alcohol, withholding documents, payment of expenses for persons with whom he was having sex, spousal abuse, receipt of psychological care or counseling, and addiction to prescription drugs.

Ooh la la!

Karl Rove not only used people strengths against them but their weaknesses too.

Anonymous said...

LS, the United States District Court, District of Oregon, Division of Portland, and its Chief Justice Ann L. Aiken and a Magistrate, John V. Acosta, both participated in clear and undeniable R.I.C.O.

The County of Multnomah, Circuit Court, and the systems which are designed for the United States to be protected in our good law, are set-up now as a bio-metric gulag. Our digital monies power corporation, the Fed? IT can paper, scissors, rock any and all We The People's truth and justice, digital no due process.

R.I.C.O.

Partners include but are not limited to, HUD that has been in the game of stealing PAY DIRT, and that is because I'm learning IT, technology, funds the Congresses that we know are multi-millionaires, mostly.

The infamous law firm outrageously advertising no less than 17 years of "Affordable Housing," Miller Nash, LLP, with Joe Bada, Five Brothers HUD partnership for as long as can be remembered.

BIG PHARMA, FORECLOSURE MILLS, ENERGY FUTURES, DEFENSE AND WEAPONRY, PRISONS, can we get the picture of the haves and the NOT HAVES!? Wall Street was a wall for real and it was to keep the real merchants out of their own center ["native Americans"] to exchange in fair and open contracts.

Crystal Cox uncovered the Summit Bankruptcy scandal in Bend, OR, and that one found a woman was put in a state hospital to steal a 40 million ++--?? ESTATE, there isn't anything the vampire squid [Goldman, that is Government, SACHS] won't shove its money funnel into for R.I.C.O. Rolling Stone's Matt Tabbli did the best story on this.

Our courts are complicit, mostly, but sometimes like the NDAA new ruling by Justice Forrest, remarkable happening. I am still waiting for another shoe to drop.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/05/16/46550.htm


http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/2011/03/naming-names-your-real-government.html

Best, Roberta

Anonymous said...

Maybe, since many new of this intercourtship relationship, for years, AND ONLY now brought up is not a coincedance, its all in the timing, signed , victim , with an (i), hey glenn!

Anonymous said...

Please......hasn't anyone been through a bitter divorce before?? Get real people and find some NEWS to report!! All the Democrats are now suddenly beyond a sexual scandal! OH PLEASE!!