Cyndy Short Press Conference~31 October 2011

[Jacie Estes]

As she her self said (in the KCS) JT "Kansas City attorney Cyndy Short said she had heard reports that New York lawyer Joe Tacopina had fired her from the case.

“He’s not in a position to fire anyone,” Short told The Star. “I work for the client, not him.”

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/27/3233889/interviews-of-baby-lisas-young.html

BBM

What we learned from this is that JI/DB let her go; this explains Stanton coming in @10p and the parents/fam leaving. It was a JT move to get them back in the fold and remove them from any local media contact. We don't know if there will be national interviews coming up this week or if they are just relocated away from peeps knocking on their door at night. Imagine what it would have been like this Halloween, many would go to the gparents door just out of curiosity.

I hope the boys are somewhere out of the public eye and getting some time to be kids and have fun, they haven't had that chance lately.

I think that Cyndy Short exhibited a quality today that we all should have, compassion. Good on her for doing so.

 

[NancyA]

She was actually very careful NOT to criticize the other lawyer AND not to criticize the parent.

I live in KC, I've seen a lot of CS's work. To call her "unprofessional" is spurious and irresponsible. She's very well-regarded in the legal community here by judges and both prosectors and defense attorneys. You don't get her kind of respect from all sides by being irresponsible.


And no, I do not know her personally.

I can only state that I hold by what I saw and my opinion was based on what I heard and saw in the PC in which I consider Ms Short to have acted unprofessionally On. This. Occasion. not that I consider her to be unprofessional as a rule.

As for the rest you and I clearly differ on what does and does not constitute criticism which is fine and simply means we'll have to agree to disagree - imo she criticised JT in yours she didn't. At no time in any of my posts did I say CS criticised the parents so I'm not sure where you got that from.

 

[mysteriew]

My take on the conference

Both CS and JT appear to be on the case for the publicity. But there is the question of who is financing this cluster ____. She says she doesn't know, was unable to find out. Remember the family saying that there would be no more interviews with local media due to a deal with a national news network? JT is all about the national news. CS was more into the local news. I think it is possible that CS had to go because of the family's deal with the national news network. They wanted the local news networks excluded.

I think this presser was partly because CS wanted to vent some anger toward JT. But partly I think it was to tell the parents they are making a mistake going with JT. And maybe, maybe even unconciously she was hinting at this exclusive deal with the national news network. I think she really wants the public to know and understand about this. She also wanted local media to know she was on their side. She may become the locals go to person when they need legal interpetation in this case.

Funnily enough she didn't mention public perception. Public is already questioning why the parents have lawyered up already. In some before, there may have been some resentment over the fact that they engaged a 'high falutin' NY attorney. But with CS in the local media, at least they were seeing a local face. Now that she has so publicly left the case, I think that will be reflected in the local opinion.

Here is how I think it looks. Family went outside the state to hire an attorney. Family excluded local media. Family hired an out of state investigator. Family let the local attorney go. Family seems to be excluding anything local. But family will be (if charged) tried in that state/area. Not good. The next local attorney (if they are able to get one) will have a tough job because he/she will have to be the one to overcome that perception. Though by that time I think it might be too late.

I don't think that the family has taken how important local perception is to the family. I think that when they made that deal it may have included some offer of help with legal expenses. And I think that is why the family is sticking to it. I don't think they realize how badly they are hurting their case.

I don't even live there in that area. But personally I feel pretty violated by the "national news network" and feel like they are using their money and influence to manipulate this case. I do feel like they are perverting justice.

 

[nursebeeme]

:seeyaeeps.. gentle reminder to be respectful to one another... this lands at random

 

[Donjeta]

She called BS "irrelevant." LOL. Doesn't know the man, has never met him. She has no idea where this "reward money" is. She tried to find out, but still has no answer about it.

I really, really wonder if this reward money even exists.

 

[1&2&3]

JT may be aggressive and at times obnoxious, but if you were in a heap of trouble, you would want him. He is a superb litigator and strategist and, like all great litigators, a control freak.

snipped by me.

You are absolutely correct, if DB & JI are quilty then they will need this type of attorney!

In the meantime, this arrogant, brass, media obsessed attorney is doing what for them??

 

[katshep]

What did CS say that "bashed the lead counsel" in this press conference?

Did you watch it? Seriously, I'm asking because I watched it twice and I see no evidence that she bashed anyone at all.

Yes, I did watch it. While she did not call him a jerk, she made it very clear that she thought she had the better approach to the matter, that she was the advocate, implying that he was not and he was making bad decisions. IMO, that is not a good thing to do publicly, but particularly in a matter like this. I understand that she is probably quite angry, but as Jefferson said, when you are angry count to 10, if you are still angry, count to 100 (or words to that effect).

 

[cowtowner]

At no time in any of my posts did I say CS criticised the parents so I'm not sure where you got that from.

I guess it was this:

Originally Posted by NancyA
For her to come out openly criticising the other lawyerand more or less implying that the parents made the 'wrong' choice

Where did she infer the parents made the wrong choice?

Where did she criticize the other lawyer?

I'm not asking these things to provoke a disagreement, I'm asking them in order to disambiguate what I'm reading here.

I watched a press conference and have re-read the words of an attorney who used no words of criticism and read no inference that the parent's have made a poor choice.

 

[luckyme]

OT/

They found the little girl missing in carrolton tx.

[ame]http://video.foxnews.com/v/1250345979001/police-uncover-body-of-missing-girl-in-texas[/ame]

 

[Elley Mae]

I agree. JT's got the name, high profile status, media talking head, yada, yada, yada. If there's money to be made on this case, JT doesn't want a bite, or even a slice: He wants the whole enchilada! jmo

It takes alot of money to maintain that ice rink in the basement.

 

[Deleted member 718]

In case someone missed the conference:

http://www.kmbc.com/news/29637763/detail.html

 

[mysteriew]

Some really good points made in this thread, imo.

- CS answered the questions we have
- CS made it clear that she did not leave voluntarily (no confusion as to her leaving because she doubted her clients)
- CS made it clear as to why she left and who initiated her dismissal
- CS made it clear that she believes in the family and intends to stay involved in the search for Lisa
-CS had an excellent opportunity to promote herself and her services here. She did so, imo. Whether that was one of her motives or just an offshoot of her dedication to her ex-clients, no harm, no foul, imo.

I hope CS can help in the local search for Lisa. I do not, however, wish to see her in future PCs related to feelings about JT, defense of the parents, her feelings about the PI... Imo, too many cooks in the kitchen as it stands and too much conflicting information. I hope she bows out gracefully now and we only see her again if her private search efforts render valid information relation to finding Lisa. I hope she does not go on a media tour about the inside workings of the case and why she was dismissed. No LKB-type after-the-fact analysis desired by me; just muddies the waters, imo. JMO.

LOL I think she will become the local equivalent of 'talking head'. I think that is part of purpose of the PC. To make sure media knows she intends to stay involved in some way.

 

[Karmaa]

As she her self said (in the KCS) JT "Kansas City attorney Cyndy Short said she had heard reports that New York lawyer Joe Tacopina had fired her from the case.

“He’s not in a position to fire anyone,” Short told The Star. “I work for the client, not him.”


http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/27/3233889/interviews-of-baby-lisas-young.html

Ummmm.. that was before she was fired. She is not working for them now.

 

[Cher352]

Does anyone else get the impression that maybe this was more of a clarification conference. Lets face it, when a respected atty is off a [high-profile] case, rumors can fly (and they did).

Do you think she could be cited with making her clients "look bad" in any way for leaving the case (makes them look guilty or leaves a question publicly), so she needed to make sure this "break-up" was done in a much more professional fashion; rather than a JT "She's fired" media frenzy, she was clarifying the true reasons of what the actual reasons were than she "abandoned" her clients?

Now this makes sense.

Also at first DB said she didn't know that CS was off the case. Chances are that once off the case CS wasn't allowed to tell the family her side of why she was off the case. Maybe this PC was done in part as a message to DB and JI.

Overall I think the PC was good.

 

[cowtowner]

Yes, I did watch it. While she did not call him a jerk, she made it very clear that she thought she had the better approach to the matter, that she was the advocate, implying that he was not and he was making bad decisions. IMO, that is not a good thing to do publicly, but particularly in a matter like this. I understand that she is probably quite angry, but as Jefferson said, when you are angry count to 10, if you are still angry, count to 100 (or words to that effect).

I understand that it's possible to infer these things from media accounts of her PC/words. However, IMO, it's ambiguous at best to characterize her words as saying her approach was "better." or that she feels (what many of us do) that JT is not and advocate.

So I guess I have to ask, what words she herself used that establishes this?


Like I said up-thread, CS has a good reputation as a professional here in KC. The notion that she's "angry" or behaving unprofessionally or worthy of censure doesn't pass the smell test here in the Cowtown.

 

[HatesSociopaths]

Question: YOUR BABY HAS JUST BEEN KIDNAPPED! You seek assistance and are presented with two different options:
1. A local attorney who has a high degree of care for you and your rights. She shows a great deal of compassion for your predicament, and is very concerned about your baby and wants to do everything possible to use the media and find her. Her legal reputation is stellar, she is easy to talk to, friendly, and has compiled a staff of seventeen just for this case. She has even offerred to do all of this for free. Above all else, she feels you are INNOCENT and wants to help you find your baby.
2. An out-of-state attorney has offered his services as well. He is considered the most hated lawyer in New York. He has a 40 foot yacht, a Mazerati, 5,000 dollar suits and has gotten killers off like Joran Vandersloot, to name just one example. He is a <modsnip>. He has spent the majority of time in Rome since on the case to search for your baby, and given numerous interviews to national media and appears to be after as much face time as he can get. He from all appearances appears to be handling your case as if your were GUILTY, and preparing for your defense to get you off murder charges.
Which do you choose?

 

[katshep]

snipped by me.

You are absolutely correct, if DB & JI are quilty then they will need this type of attorney!

In the meantime, this arrogant, brass, media obsessed attorney is doing what for them??

Whether or not they are guilty, they need a lawyer of Tacopina's abilities under these circumstances. This is a very strange case which is why I am very interested in it, having been involved in very complicated international parental kidnapping cases in the past.
Tacopina is acting as a victim's lawyer to bridge the gap between the clients and law enforcement and to keep them informed about the process and as a defense lawyer to protect them from over-zealous LE.
I don't know all of the details of what he is doing, but he states he is working closely with the FBI (the FBI is not complaining), he is rescheduling the children's interviews that had been cancelled by CS, he has his clients' confidence as they decided to continue with him and he is curtailing the media involvement in this case. He has counseled his clients to cooperate as legally advisable.
These are all good things. Neither of his clients have been described as "suspects" or "persons of interest." There is a missing infant, there are several witnesses to a baby having been seen with a man that night and no ransom has been demanded that we know of. This could be a very delicate situation to bring someone forward. I go with a tough, highly experienced lawyer with a strong relationship with the FBI.

 

[dog.gone.cute]

I really, really wonder if this reward money even exists.

I totally agree !

:waitasec: A $100,000 Reward ... ya would "think" that "someone" would have come forward by now ...

That's a lot of $$$$$ -- especially in this economy.

:waitasec: I wish "someone" would come forward because I would like to see Bill Stanton [and "benefactor"] put his $$$$$ where his mouth is !

MOO ...

 

[annalia]

In case someone missed the conference:

http://www.kmbc.com/news/29637763/detail.html

Thank you.

Honestly, I don't see all this whining or attacking that's been said she did in the PC. :waitasec:

Sounds like she's making clear to the media and public that she isn't their go-to person anymore but she still plans to be an advocate for Lisa.

 

[Nannn]

Question: YOUR BABY HAS JUST BEEN KIDNAPPED! You seek assistance and are presented with two different options:
1. A local attorney who has a high degree of care for you and your rights. She shows a great deal of compassion for your predicament, and is very concerned about your baby and wants to do everything possible to use the media and find her. Her legal reputation is stellar, she is easy to talk to, friendly, and has compiled a staff of seventeen just for this case. She has even offerred to do all of this for free. Above all else, she feels you are INNOCENT and wants to help you find your baby.
2. An out-of-state attorney has offered his services as well. He is considered the most hated lawyer in New York. He has a 40 foot yacht, a Mazerati, 5,000 dollar suits and has gotten killers off like Joran Vandersloot, to name just one example. He is a <modsnip>. He has spent the majority of time in Rome since on the case to search for your baby, and given numerous interviews to national media and appears to be after as much face time as he can get. He from all appearances appears to be handling your case as if your were GUILTY, and preparing for your defense to get you off murder charges.
Which do you choose?

a very good and perhaps very telling post! ETA .. but both of these attorneys fully seem to expect this case to land in a courtroom, with one of their clients being the charged party...