Karla Dobinski
Posted on 09/19/2013 10:54:27 AM PDT by jazusamo
What does it take for an employee to get fired in Eric Holder’s Justice Department Civil Rights Division?
Certainly perjury doesn’t do it. Neither does using a government credit card to book airfare for romantic liaisons with a Miami girlfriend — that just gets you a nice buyout. Want to use civil rights laws to protect only black victims of discrimination? Ho hum. The culture of lawlessness is so pervasive at the Civil Rights Division that a former Voting Section chief felt comfortable telephoning current DOJ employees and suggesting they turn over confidential memos … because they were worth cash (see page 145).
Now we learn that that an attorney in the infamous and lawless Civil Rights Division was engaging in clandestine blogging at a major newspaper in order to help convict New Orleans police officers in a matter to which she was assigned. Enter Karla Dobinski, DOJ Civil Rights Division lawyer by day and secret blogger by night. Dobinski was posting in the comments at newspaper sites and anonymously polluting the atmosphere about cases against New Orleans police officers on which she was working.
Dobinski’s misconduct was so egregious that United States District Court Judge Kurt Englehardt vacated the convictions of five New Orleans police officers convicted of using excessive force in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
From NOLA:
Karla Dobinski, trial attorney in the department’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., posted comments on NOLA.com under the name “Dipsos,” U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt said in his order, which cited “grotesque” prosecutorial misconduct as a reason to grant a new trial.
The judge called Dobinski’s posts a “wanton reckless course of action.”
Dobinski wasn’t any old attorney working on the prosecution of the New Orleans police officers: she was a supervisor, and the head of the “taint team.” The taint team is charged with ensuring that prosecutors do not use any information obtained by a police department internal affairs unit in a criminal prosecution. Because cooperation with an internal affairs unit is mandatory for cops, statements made in those interviews may not be used in any criminal prosecution of a police officer. The head of the taint team is charged with ensuring the police officers receive a fair trial by keeping all information from the internal affairs unit out of the hands of the criminal prosecutors and away from the trial.
Dobinski is also a highly paid deputy chief in the Criminal Section. In other words, she is a supervisor. Nevertheless, Dobinski used theTimes-Picayune website to post anonymous comments about the trial and to discuss the evidence in the case. Per NOLA:
Dobinski under oath testified that she followed progress of the trial on The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com because “the prosecution team was busy and there was not a good flow of information back about the trial events.” Englehardt was not satisfied with that response, saying she had other avenues to keep up with the trial. And she was urging others to keep posting comments on NOLA.com, especially when they had pro-prosecutor opinions, the judge said. ”In short, it is difficult to accept the story that an experienced trial attorney … would embark upon such a wanton reckless course of action, involving herself with two highly-opinionated trial observers, simply to obtain ‘a good flow of information back about the trial events.’”
He says less than 65 days before the jury got the case against Bowen and the others, Dobinski “ personally fanned the flames of those burning to see him convicted.“
Two other DOJ lawyers, both based in New Orleans, were fired for similar blogging at the Times-Picayune website in news stories covering the matter.
But Dobinski reported to work on Wednesday at her office on the fifth floor at 601 D Street N.W. in Washington, D.C .
Dobinski still earns $155,500 per year.
Has she faced scorn, ridicule or ostracism from her lawyer co-workers at the Justice Department?
Of course not. This is Eric Holder’s Justice Department.
Every other Justice Department lawyer who blogged about their New Orleans case has been fired, except Dobinski.
Why not?
Dobinski, unlike the other fired lawyers, is an activist.
She has long been involved in numerous lesbian and LGBT causes. In 2002, DOJ Pride — the internal association of gay Justice Department employees — held an awards ceremony. Dobinski won the James R. Douglas Award for her activism. For good measure, Dobinski also snagged the Gerald R. Roemer Community Service Award.
DOJ employees with her history of activism enjoy a sort of immunity that non-activists and non-leftists do not enjoy. It’s just another day in the fundamental transformation of America.
But Dobinski’s left-wing activism shouldn’t protect her from the disciplinary committee at the District of Columbia Bar.
I verified today that she has been admitted to practice in the District since Feb. 14, 1985. If the Justice Department Office of Professional Responsibility didn’t report her to the bar — and it’s likely they didn’t – citizens can.
A government which permits federal employees to abuse power, lie, steal, and ultimately to send citizens to jail based on lawyer misconduct is a government which has betrayed its founding rooted in law. Whether it is Karla Dobinski or Eric Holder, a new breed of highly paid lawyer holds power. They seem immune to consequences for misconduct, and those in Congress with the power to respond under the Constitution seem flummoxed by this new breed of technocrat gangster.
The consequences for the rule of law, and for their victims — like the five New Orleans police officers — are frightening.
If they’re talking about the New Orleans Nazis in Blue who murdered the people at the Danziger bridge, those 5 aren’t victims they’re murderers pure and simple, and they should have been executed, but of course because they’re cops different standards apply.
A chill wind . . . .
FTA:
Dobinski’s misconduct was so egregious that United States District Court Judge Kurt Englehardt vacated the convictions of five New Orleans police officers convicted of using excessive force in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Her misconduct led to the vacated CONVICTIONS of those thugs.
Yup.
The cops abused power. But so did the prosecutors.
Yep, that’s the case and I agree but the actions of this DOJ supervisor were not only egregious but unnecessary and uncalled for.
<...”The consequences for the rule of law”...>
What rule of law? Our society and government no longer abides by a so called “rule of law”....it is simply a line that’s jumped like skip rope....nothing to it!
What we do have are activists who know too much, exposed to that which they shouldn’t know...who use it as leverage to retain their positions and income. High Crimes which go ‘past go’ and collect mega dollars...with a behind the scenes audience clapping at their success.
Absolutely, the Obama/Holder DOJ has and is making a mockery of justice.
Anyone here besides me think that this was possibly a fix to get them off with minimal punishment? After all you can’t have police getting punished for murdering people. Who would respect them if they had to follow the same laws as the rest of us?
bump
There are easier ways for the prosecution to “throw” a case. This one would’ve counted on the defense to discover the shenanigans.
If Alfred Newman had a sister she would look like Karla Dobinski.
Or let them know. The cat got out of the bag somehow didn't it.
True, but the fact remains that a prosecutor should be able to “throw” a case without placing his or her law license in jeopardy.
and a surgeon should be able to throw an operation without consequence too?
There’s much truth in that:)
Depends on what she was offered. Not saying I see conspiracy everywhere, but just because you think paranoid thoughts doesn't mean that they're not really out to get you. With this New fascist USA and the militarization of the thugs in blue one can't be too cynical.
Not sure whether you understand the context of the discussion, but yes, a coerced (or otherwise) surgeon should be intelligent enough to kill his or her patient without placing his or her license in jeopardy.
??
Keep the license while in prison for murder then.
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