Milton Playing Musical Chairs With Lawyers

Sometimes we must have forgotten why Milton Street — duck boat operator, mayor’s brother, hot dog vendor, mayoral candidate, traffic ticket scofflaw — was in the news in the first place. He is, of course, facing trial for fraud and tax evasion after he was indicted last year. (Be sure to take note of the headline on that Nov. 28, 2006 link: “Milton Street Indicted, To Announce Mayoral Bid Soon.” Prophetic.)

Of course, he’s pretty much done everything but prepare for his trial in the last few weeks, focusing instead on his mayoral bid, his wacky interviews with the local media and coming up with old movies to pinch campaign slogans (Watermelon Man) and/or campaign ideas (Police Academy 4) from.

Well, apparently, that’s not the best legal defense strategy, as Street’s court-appointed lawyer has quit due to a difference of opinion with Street on how to handle the case. Perhaps, the Inquirer’s Robert Moran theorizes, she wanted him to stop running for mayor and stop giving interviews to any schmoe with a microphone. But no one would say, and Street later said he wasn’t sure why his lawyer, Jeanne K. Damirgian, quit the case.

The Daily News, however, quotes from court papers to show that it wasn’t just a lawyer leaving, it was more like a divorce.

Last Thursday, Damirgian filed court papers saying her professional relationship with Street had “deteriorated,” the two had “irreconcilable differences,” and she no longer wanted to represent him.

Oh, Milton. Keep up the good work, buddy.

Milton’s own lawyer has had enough [Inquirer]
Lawyer quits Milton’s case [Daily News]