WLG Client Cleared In Calverton Middle School Teacher Attack

Last month two teenage Calverton Middle School students were alleged to have broken into the school on a Sunday afternoon, vandalized the building, and participated in an attempted sexual assault of a teacher who was in the building working overtime.

Yesterday at the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center, attorney Donald Wright, who represents a twelve year old boy charged in the incident, negotiated a plea agreement which cleared the boy of any involvement in the attempted sexual assault.

Speaking after yesterday's proceedings before Juvenile Master Zakia Mahasa, Wright told reporters that the overwhelming evidence in the case shows that his client had no involvement or knowledge of the assault to which the second boy admitted.

"He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and associating with someone he shouldn't have been associating with," said Wright. "Every indication from all the evidence I reviewed showed that my client did not participate in an assault, and had no idea what was going on in that building after he left."

WLG Client Acquitted Of All Felony Charges In Trial Of MTA Bus Beating Of Passenger Sarah Kreager

After what is being reported as the longest trial in Baltimore Juvenile Court history, the WLG client accused of beating passenger Sarah Kreager aboard an MTA bus has been acquitted of all felony charges relating to the incident.

The ruling by Circuit Court Judge David W. Young did find four other co-respondent's involved in the felony assault against Kreager. However, Judge Young rejected charges against Mr. Wright's client on all but a few small misdemeanor counts.

Speaking outside the courthouse immediately following the verdict Mr. Wright commented, "we are delighted with the result. The ruling vindicates this young man, and confirms what we have asserted all along. This boy had nothing to do with a felony assault against Ms. Kreager."

Mr. Wright applauded the Judge's handling of a very difficult case, with a lot of evidence and lengthy testimony. "I am particularly pleased that the Judge did not succumb to this mentality of mob justice, that everyone on the bus must have been involved. We are happy that this young man can now resume going about his life as a fifteen-year-old boy."

Click here for WJZ news coverage of the trial.

MTA Bus Trial Coverage

Due to the volume of requests for information regarding this case, here are links to some of the media coverage of the trial.

The Baltimore Sun article about the verdict. WLG's client is the only respondent acquitted in the felony assault of Sarah Kreager.

Sun columnist Gregory Kane provided fair, relevant and insightful coverage of the trial.

WJZ video coverage of Mr. Wright discussing the poor investigation techniques of the MTA Police.

The Baltimore Examiner provided some good, in depth coverage as well.

WLG To Defend Juvenile In MTA Bus Assault

Donald C. Wright has been retained as counsel for one of the nine juvenile defendants charged in the alleged beating of Sarah Kreager on an MTA Bus in Baltimore earlier this month. See News Story.

Mr. Wright confirmed his involvement today from his firm's Baltimore offices, while preparing for a detention hearing in the case set for January 4, 2008. Although commenting on the specifics of closed juvenile proceedings is prohibited, Mr. Wright did offer some insight into his defense strategy. "We expect to focus the court's attention on the complete lack of evidence against this young man, and what certainly appears to be a rush to judgment in this matter." See News Story.

Wright argued, "there are two sides to this story. Indeed, there are nine other sides to this story apart from Ms. Kreager's, and from the moment the police arrived at the location they have not seemed particularly interested in investigating or even hearing this information."

Yesterday attorney Kimberly M. Thomas announced that the juvenile defendant she represents in the case had Kreager charged with assault. According to Ms. Thomas, her "client was spit on, and then she was hit by Sarah Kreager." See News Story.

Mr. Wright welcomed the news of the new charges against Kreager. "All along the police have stated that Ms. Kreager is an innocent victim in all of this. It seems a court commissioner disagrees, and now Ms. Kreager will now have to answer assault charges of her own." However he cautioned, "don't forget that the same people [the City State's Attorney's Office] who have been ignoring evidence of her own involvement in this episode are now charged with prosecuting Ms. Kreager. I wouldn't be surprised if that case somehow finds a way to get dismissed."

Digging Up The Past

Estate Planning for the Gathering Threat of Litigation

By Donald C. Wright

The Last Will and Testament is not always the last word.

In Maryland, and across the country, families are increasingly digging up the past, battling it out in courtrooms to stake claims to the money and property their deceased relatives left behind. With the influx of estate litigation, helping clients create an estate plan now more than ever requires an approach that contemplates this gathering postmortem threat.

As litigation increases, estate planners and estate litigators best serve their clients by appreciating the nuances in each other’s role in the process. A collaborative approach helps to avoid costly and divisive litigation while fostering success when litigation does arise.

The most important aspect of the estate-planning process remains selecting an experienced estate lawyer to create a comprehensive estate plan. Although many general practitioners will prepare a will if called upon to do so, clients will benefit most from charging an experienced estate planner with the important task of planning for their families’ future. Learning the lessons of litigation is a powerful tool with which these practitioners cab craft a lasting, defensible estate plan.

Recording the execution of a will or trust is an increasingly popular tool among estate planners. A video showing a coherent testator confirming his or her wishes and acknowledging the terms of the will is one of the most useful pieces of evidence when litigation is brought or threatened. A lucid and compelling performance by the maker can preempt (or effectively defend) a contention that he or she lacked the necessary testamentary capacity to make the will, or that the maker was the victim of fraud.

Recorded executions can be risky in some situation, however, and they should not be a routine practice procedure. Some frail and elderly yet competent clients may not present well in this medium, and their performance could actually create vulnerability in an otherwise effective estate plan. Video recordings are not particularly effective in undue influence cases. An argument that the recording only shows a brief glimpse into the unduly influential behavior usually blunts its effectiveness at trial.

An elderly or ill client who has better days than others may benefit greatly from a videoed execution. Mildly impaired, elderly, bi-polar or schizophrenic clients benefit most from this added protection. Remember, testamentary capacity is only relevant at the moment of execution of the instrument. Video recordings offer the court a clear view of the maker’s testamentary capacity when it matters the most.

Beyond standard will contests, lawsuits against trustees and personal representatives for breach of their fiduciary duties have also increased. These claims usually involve allegations of poor investments or other mismanagement of the trust or estate assets. As the landscape of estate litigation expands, estate litigators, planners and administrators can better serve their clients by drawing on each other’s expertise in battling the growing threat of litigation.
*Originally published in the April 15, 2005 Elder Law Focus Issue of the Bar Bulletin, published by the Maryland State Bar Association.

A Conversation With Riddick Bowe

On March 11, 2005, Donald Wright sat down for a conversation with former two-time undisputed heavyweight champion Riddick "Big Daddy" Bowe. The interview, originally published by www.boxingtalk.com, was conducted in the back seat of the champ's limo following a Ballroom Boxing card in Baltimore, Maryland, featuring 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Andre Dirrell.

Sitting ringside with his family, Big Daddy was loudly cheered as he entered the hall midway through Andre Dirrell's two round destruction of Jake Rodriguez. The warm reception continued as he entered the ring to promote his April 7, 2005 comeback fight on the Best Damn Sports Show against Billy Zumbrun.

In this original Boxingtalk interview, republished here in it's entirety, Bowe discusses his future boxing plans, as well as his thoughts on possible match ups with then champ Vitali Klitchko, Mike Tyson, and Evander Holyfield. The gregarious former heavyweight champ also shared his insight into Holyfield's medical suspension by the New York State Athletic Commission, and speculated about the mysterious disappearance of Andrew Golota's "steroid pimples."

Don Wright: Good to see you Riddick. Can you tell us when and where your next fight will take place, and do you have an opponent lined up?

Riddick Bowe: I'll be fighting on the Best Damn Sports Show on April 7. Then I'm coming right here to the Ballroom sometime in June. We're looking at a couple guys.

Wright: How many fights will you need before you're ready to step up the level of opposition and take on some top contenders, or a shot at the title?

Bowe: Well I've got to get my swagger back, you know what I'm saying. Give me about 10 or 15 fights. I've already had one. Then I'll be ready to take on Klitchko, Rahman or whoever's there.

Wright: What are some of the big fights you are looking to make? Who do you have in your crosshairs?

Bowe: Show me the money, you know what I'm saying. They've got to show me the Benjamins. Me and my wife, we sick of flying American Airlines. Look at my wife, ain't she pretty?

Wright: She's beautiful.

Bowe: That's right. And we need to be flying around in a private jet. No more American Airlines. I'm lookin for Mrs. Bowe Airlines.

Wright: Any chance of an all-Brooklyn match between you and Mike Tyson?

Bowe: Well you know, I like Mike. Me and Mike, we grew up together. It's got to make sense financially, so I think that's a fight we can do.

Wright: Andrew Golota is taking his third straight shot at the title against Lamon Brewster. If he captures a piece of the title, is a third match with Golota something that interests you?

Bowe: Let me tell you something about Golota, he's not the same fighter he used to be. If you look at him, he's not as fast as he was, and his jab isn't as strong. I'll tell you another thing that's different about him, there ain't no more pimples on his back. Why do you think that is? If he agrees to be tested for steroids, and we on a level playing field, there's no doubt in my mind that I'll whoop him.

Wright: You've had some well documented difficulties getting licensed in some states. Can you comment on that, and what do you make of Evander Holyfield's suspension by the New York Commission?

Bowe: Well, my situation is different than Evander's. Let me talk about that, and then I'll tell you about Evander. With me it's political. For whatever reason, certain people don't want to see me fight, so they say I'm punchy, they say I'm washed up. You're talking to me, do I sound punchy to you?

Wright: Actually, and not just because I'm sitting in the back seat of your limo, no you don't. Not at all.

Bowe: Well, there you go. Now with Evander, they're afraid he's going to hurt himself. I think, if he wants to fight, and he's willing to take that risk, they should let him make the decision. He's just messing his legacy up now, but it should be his choice. They need to get off both our asses.

Wright: How about a 4th Fight with Evander?

Bowe: Man, I would love a 4th fight. Me and Evander, we bring out the best in each other. I'd love to see if we can do it one more time.

Wright: Thanks a lot champ. It was nice talking with you.

Bowe: Thank you man. Hey, and bring some money with you next time, will you!

A Conversation With the Pazmanian Devil

In the January 2006, Donald Wright sat down with former multi-division world champion, and all time great warrior, Vinny Paz. Paz was in Baltimore attending a benefit card for a local heavyweight Mike Dietrich. In this original Boxingtalk interview, the Pazmanian Devil discusses some of his toughest fights with the likes of Roy Jones, Roberto Duran, Greg Haugen, and Gilbert Dele. Paz also talks about the movie currently in development about his life, and the actors they are targeting to play the charismatic former champ.

Donald Wright: It is a pleasure to be here with former world champion Vinny Paz. What brings you out to the fights tonight champ?

Vinny Paz: Baltimore rocks man, I love Baltimore. There are a lot of mad Paz lovers in Baltimore. I’ve done a couple of radio shows, and some tv. It’s been cool here, and I like it. I’ve been finding my way around and meeting some nice people. I came here because I’m friendly with Jake, and he asked me if I’d come down. And because Kevin Rooney is here, that’s why I came down. I wanted to see Kevin. I haven’t seen him in a while.

Wright: The crowd response was very good for you here tonight. How does it feel to get up there, climb through those ropes and hear the crowd roar for you?

Paz: It was nice. It was nice. My time is over. I got my fifty wins. I got out with an even fifty. And I’m happy that things worked out the way they did. People are always asking me, “yo, Vinny Paz man, you were good, how do you feel, how do you feel?” I say, you know what, I feel way better than I should. I feel fortunate to get out. I’ve still got a few brain cells left, after all I did, and how crazy it’s been. You know, I feel pretty good. So, I’m fortunate and lucky to feel that way.

Wright: Well you were one of the all time warriors, there’s no doubt about that. How difficult is it to step away from that? And talk about the significance of reaching fifty wins, and what that meant to you.

Paz: It’s cool that you say that. All time warriors. I love that. I have the word warrior tattooed on my leg. But, in any case, it’s a good feeling that I turned a lot of people on. But now, life after boxing, I’m working on a book and a movie, which is going to be the big thing for me. And hopefully the movie will get done soon. We have a script that is done and completed. And the movie is going to be called “Paz.” And it’s going to be pretty exciting. It’s going to be a fun moment in my life, and that will be the next big thing that I’m waiting for.

Wright: Who do you get to play Vinny Paz?

Paz: That won’t be easy (laughs). We’re looking at a couple of guys. A couple of big guys. We have a commitment already from Joe Pesci, to play my dad. And we’re talking to Mark Wahlberg, Colin Ferrell and another guy. Hopefully we can land one of them, because if we can, the film will be humungous. Oh, and they spoke about Leonardo DiCaprio, believe it or not. He’s a great actor. And every great actor would love to play a great boxing movie. That’s why DeNiro was so great in Raging Bull. My movie kicks ass. There’s everything in it, my story. You know. I mean, there’s winning fights, there’s mad inspiration and motivation, and drive, tenacity. There’s love, there’s family. You know the ups and downs of my crazy life. And you know, the main thing is, there are a lot of beautiful woman (laughs).

Wright: Who’s the best fighter you’ve ever been in there with?

Paz: Well, my toughest fight by far was when I fought Gilbert Dele (a twelve round TKO victory in 1991 for the WBA Light Middleweight Title). You know, twelve rounds, and I was just simply wiped after that. That was my hardest fight ever. I fought the great Roberto Duran. I love him to death. He was unbelievable in his day, but you know, I fought him when he was older. You and then, hey, I fought the heavyweight champion of the world, Roy Jones. You know, what the hell, I’m 5’8’’ on a good hair day, I shouldn’t be fighting the heavyweight champion. But, you know that was another good fighter. I’ve had a lot of good fights. A lot of tough fights.

Wright: Looking back on a hall of fame career, what is the proudest moment of your professional career?

Paz: To narrow that down is so, so hard. Because, when you say that, and people ask me that every once and a while, and I think immediately of the night I fought Joe Frasier, Jr. in the Civic Center in my hometown, and there were 15,000 people. The place was jammed packed, I couldn’t believe it. The biggest audience ever in Rhode Island in that arena. I think of that. I think of the amateurs, when I won the nationals against Tim Rovone from Louisiana. I dropped him in the third round and won the gold medal. I think about coming back after I broke my neck. I think about winning the best title that I ever thought I won the WBA Junior Middleweight Title against Gilbert Dele. That was one of the best moments of my life. Because I had won the world title against Haugen, my first world title. Another fabulous moment. But then I got my ass kicked after I couldn’t make lightweight no more. I moved up and everyone wrote me off. You know what I mean? So there were so many moments.

Wright: You’ve certainly had a remarkable career. Thanks a lot champ, and thanks for taking the time to talk with us.

Paz: Thank you brother, it was great talking with you.