Lawyer
Will Seek Court Order for Guardian
Jack Thompson
April 25, 2000 3:08 PM EST
NewsMax has obtained an exclusive interview with the newest member of Elian
Gonzalez's legal team, Miami lawyer Richard Sharpstein.
NewsMax.com has learned that court papers prepared by Sharpstein could be
filed as early as this week.
Sharpstein will seek an order from the 11th Circuit commanding the surrender
of the boy to a guardian.
Sharpstein said his filings will likely request to the 11th Circuit Court of
Appeals for a surrender of the boy on the following grounds:
1. The "search warrant" was fraudulently obtained in that it is
falsely alleged in the supporting affidavit, signed by INS Officer Mary
Rodriguez (not the woman sprinting out to the van with Elian wrapped in a
blanket), that Elian was both "hidden" and an "illegal
alien."
The facts are that Elian's whereabouts, contrary to this allegation by
Justice, were fully known to the entire world.
Further, he was not in any fashion an "illegal alien."
He already had filed pending his petition for asylum.
"Ilegal aliens" is a legal term that would not include those who
have filed a petition for asylum, particularly not Cuban immigres, who are
presumed, under the Cuban Adjustment Act, to have a right, under the law, to
remain.
Such emigres are defined as legal aliens under the statute.
2. The Attorney General was personally involved in a fraudulent scheme to
seize the boy in that she a) used a fraudulently obtained affidavit with which
to illegally seize the boy, whose issuance was improperly concealed and sealed
from opposing counsel b) while she pretended to be negotiating in good faith
with "central mediator" Aaron Podhurst and others to convince them
that a raid would not occur while negotiations were ongoing.
While pretending to be negotiating, she was in fact planning the raid, even
conducting the raid while negotiators were on the phone.
This makes the entire scheme by which the boy was seized a violation of the
11th Circuit's guarantee of the unimpeded litigation process of the asylum
claim.
"Reno, in a phrase, was the central architect of a monstrous
trick," said Sharpstein.
Additionally, statements made by Florida Senator Bob Graham may also be
introduced in court papers demonstrating that President Clinton was a
participant in the ruse. Graham has stated that Clinton personally assured him
the boy would not be seized in the dark of the night.
Sharpstein said that the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals may be petitioned to
appoint a guardian ad litem, that is a third party, to serve as both the
temporary custodian and also advocate for the interests for the boy, separate
and apart from the interests of the Miami relatives as well as those of the
father.
This approach, says Sharpstein, would give the boy what he needs: an
opportunity to decide, as the 11th Circuit indicated even a six-year-old boy
might be able to do, where he wants to live.
The guardian ad litem would allow extended visits with the boy by both sets
of relatives.
This was basically the deal Reno and the Miami relatives agreed to just
before the raid was conducted.
Presently, Greg Craig, Juan Miguel's father's attorney, is prohibiting Elian
from meeting not only with Elian's family but more importantly with the boy's
own attorneys thereby impairing Elian's litigation of his asylum claim.
"This holding of the boy hostage," said Sharpstein, "by
opposing counsel must stop. It is unthinkable. It also violates the 11th
Circuit's order directly."
Court papers prepared by Sharpstein and seeking an order from the 11th
Circuit commanding the surrender of the boy to a guardian may be filed with the
court as early as this week.
In a related development, Washington-based Landmark Legal Foundation, the
head of which is Mark R. Levin, today filed with the 11th Circuit a "friend
of the court" Motion for the Court's Enforcement of Plaintiff's (Elian's)
Right to Effective Assistance of Counsel, formally alleging that the father's
lawyer, Greg Craig, cannot represent both the person applying for asylum (the
child) and the one opposing the application (the father) at the same time.
Landmark argues this obvious conflict of interest by Craig is made even worse
by Craig's participation in the physical prohibition of Elian from meeting with
his own presently retained counsel.