What we all knew was coming: Fen-phen lawyers blame Chesley

Stan Chesley is widely known as one of America's premiere class action lawyers.  Now that his co-counsel are sitting in jail for their conduct in a case he helped them settle, a peek at their defense reveals that they blame Chesley.

According to a report this morning in the Lexington Herald Leader attorney Bill Gallion, one of three lawyers being held in jail pending their federal criminal trial in May in Covington, has filed a report by an expert which says, in effect, that the three jailed lawyers relied upon Chesley's expertise in class action litigation which is why they are in trouble.

Chesley has not been indicted, yet.  He may never be, but many in the legal community have been speculating for months that his name would surface as the mastermind behind the settlement which was constructed in such a way as to result in a $42 million judgment against his co-counsel.

Chesley, who has raised a ton of money for the Clinton's over the years, apparently had other litigation pending which might have been adversely affected by widespread notice of the class action settlement, according to the expert report.  This omission, which is part of the reason the lawyers are in jail facing criminal charges and have a multi-million dollar judgment against them, was the result of Chesley's advice, according to Gallion's witness.

Competition in the legal profession at that level is fierce.  There are many who are secretly wishing that Chesley gets hammered.  If Judge Bertlesman's treatment of the other three is any indication, should Stan Chesley ever get indicted, he can expect to receive equal treatment under the law.