ALJ Concerned About Attorney Withdrawal in EMT Case
FCC Administrative Law Judge Jane Halprin called for a pre-hearing conference in Entertainment Media Trust’s license case after the broadcaster’s lawyers withdrew as counsel, said an order posted Monday. EMT’s former lawyers, Fletcher Heald's Davina Sashkin and attorney Anthony Lepore,…
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still represent the Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee Donald Samson who was assigned EMT’s stations by the Media Bureau. Earlier this month, the Enforcement Bureau questioned whether it's ethical for Lepore and Sashkin to represent both EMT and the bankruptcy trustee (see 1911060063). It's “puzzling” withdrawal of the attorneys was made known to the FCC through a correction to the record and not mentioned in a Nov. 14 teleconference, the ALJ said in the order. “It is also concerning that their Request for Correction of the Record and Notification of Withdrawal provided no detail with respect to the circumstances of the termination of their representation of EMT, who they have represented since the outset of this hearing proceeding.” Halprin and EB expressed concern the change in counsel shouldn’t affect deadlines, and Halprin ordered a conference for Dec. 5. Tuesday, Sashkin and Lepore didn’t comment.