Collins leaving US Attorney’s office
Thursday, Mar 1, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
This is gonna create a huge hole in that office.
Patrick Collins, a star prosecutor whose efforts led to the convictions of former Gov. George Ryan and Mayor Daley’s former patronage chief, Robert Sorich, is leaving the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago after 12 years.
Collins is joining the Chicago office of Perkins Coie, a law firm based in Seattle. He will be a partner in the firm.
He was the lead prosecutor in Ryan’s six-month trial. Ryan is now appealing his conviction.
Collins did the heavy lifting. Fitzgerald gets the credit for all the high profile convictions, but Collins did a whole lot of the work.
- Squideshi - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 12:57 pm:
Anyone have any speculation about why Collins is leaving?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 1:07 pm:
Often these sorts of departures boil down to three things:
Big money and perks, new challenges, more free time.
- Boone Logan Square - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 1:08 pm:
Is this part of the Bush admin’s purging of prosecutors, a jump for (what I would guess is immensely) better compensation, or a bit of both?
- Cal Skinner - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 1:08 pm:
How sad.
- Amy - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 1:11 pm:
every chief prosecutor gets the credit, not just
Fitzgerald, but in the case of Fitzgerald he
does lots of the work. he is highly respected
by his assistants.
- i d - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 1:20 pm:
Sad for Illinois. Hope he is replaced by someone as good or better and that none of the other good US attorneys leave.
- PatC - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 1:29 pm:
Big money and perks, new challenges, more free time.
The first for sure, different challenges maybe.
But you should know lawyers at big firms put in a ton of time. Likely it’s a wash there.
- Squideshi - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 1:58 pm:
“Is this part of the Bush admin’s purging of prosecutors…”
That’s where I was headed. So, there’s no indication that Collins is being pressured?
- thomas paine - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 2:11 pm:
Perhaps he’s grabbing the cash before the Sorich and Ryan cases are overturned on appeal.
- One_Mcmad - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 2:33 pm:
Cause a ruling may be coming down real soon on George Ryan’s appeal. I believe that at some point George Ryan will prevail and that’s not withstanding guilt or innocence but based upon the malfeasance of the jury.
As one U.S Appellate Justice publicly stated to Patrick Collins in the oral arguments, the failure of the court to sequester the jury was a bad decision.
If he upholds his view point and not allow another justice to convince him otherwise, the appeal ruling may be a remand for a new trial.
In addition, Sorich conviction is also on appeal and he and two other defendants have been granted appeal bonds as was George Ryan.
If both George Ryan and the City Hall defendants are both remanded back to the trial court on errors…………………………………….
- Jolly Good - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 2:53 pm:
Good for him, he deserves to make some money and have some free time. But I’m sure that won’t stop you all from blaming W.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 3:01 pm:
OK all you conspiracy theorists:
Sorry to break it to you, but we already have a close look at the “Bush Conspiracy on Prosecutors” thanks to a couple of nitwit US Senators in California who were making this claim a month ago.
They got shot down after reviewing the facts. Ooops, no Bush Bogeyman.
So you guys will have to create a new Bush conspiracy. This one has already been disproven.
- George Ryan's Cellmate - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 3:59 pm:
OK, VanillaMan, take a deep breath, try and cut down on the name calling and recognize there is some merit to questioning why the White House has fired at least seven successful U.S. Attorneys.
As to the fact Pat Collins is leaving the USAO, this is a big blow for good government. Collins not only prosecuted the cases, he trained a group of prosecutors and agents on how to investigate and try big cases that are complex, political and very public and got folks at DOJ, the FBI, IRS and other agencies to put aside ego and work together. He started something important and hopefully it will continue.
Farewell, Pat, and thanks.
- Not So Fast - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 4:30 pm:
I think the Sorich folks were granted appeal bonds because the prosecution AGREED to it. Thus, one should not assume that the court thinks that their appeals have merit.
- Boone Logan Square - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 4:47 pm:
**So you guys will have to create a new Bush conspiracy. This one has already been disproven.**
Then I guess we should all ignore the House Judiciary Committee hearings next week when they receive testimony from the fired prosecutors who wanted to testify, including California’s Southern District’s Carol Lam (in charge of the Cunningham/Foggo prosecution), New Mexico’s David Iglesias, Arkansas’ Eastern District’s H.E. “Bud” Cummins, and Washington’s Western District’s John McKay. Move along here, nothing to see.
- annon. in the stykes - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 4:47 pm:
guess he earned his spurs, couple extra nothches on the old pistol grip and moving on before the appeals are in. oh well …. to be expected i guess. resume’ builder now time to move on.
- paddyrollingstone - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 5:04 pm:
I deal alot with the office and have heard for some time that Patrick wanted to leave. He is a good guy and a great lawyer. I do not always agree with what that office does but Patrick is a great asset to the bar.
- paddyrollingstone - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 5:09 pm:
VanillaMan - the following concerns the firing of New Mexico US Attorney David Iglesias:
The controversy flared up early Wednesday afternoon after David Iglesias, the departing U.S. attorney from New Mexico, told McClatchy Newspapers that he believes he was forced out because he refused to speed up an indictment of local Democrats a month before November’s congressional elections.
Iglesias said that two members of Congress called separately in mid-October to inquire about the timing of a federal probe of a kickback scheme. They appeared eager, he said, for an indictment to be issued before the elections in order to benefit the Republicans. He refused to name the members of Congress because, he said, he feared retaliation.
Two months later, on Dec. 7, Iglesias became one of six U.S. attorneys who’ve been ordered to step down for what administration officials have called “performance-related issues.” Two other U.S. attorneys also were asked to resign.
Iglesias, however, had received a positive performance review before he was fired and said that he suspected he was forced out because he resisted the pressure and didn’t indict anyone before the election.
“I believe that because I didn’t play ball, so to speak, I was asked to resign,” Iglesias, who stepped down Wednesday, told McClatchy.
A Justice Department spokesman denied hearing of any congressional interference in the investigation and said Iglesias wasn’t fired because of the case.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 5:12 pm:
“Not so fast” — you’re as wrong as Lee Corso. The Court of Appeals granted the appellate bonds to two of Sorich’s co-defendants. The prosecution then agreed to an order for Sorich on the same terms.
A favorable outcome on the appeal will reverse the convictions (and the chances are much better than 50/50 that the convictions will be reversed). But what office will the disgraced defendants go to to restore their reputations? Perkins & Coie?
A larger question: once the Court of Appeals determines that the prosecutions were without basis in law (and that they penalized legitimate behaviour), will any of the papers apologize for calling it “corruption”? Will you apologize, Rich?
- Cassandra - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 5:56 pm:
If PF is running his office right, there are several young, energetic and capable attorneys who are more than anxious to win their spurs
in high-profile cases.
Mr. Collins has made a reasonable career choice; let’s hope there are several wanting to take his place and work on the Illinois state govt cases.
- A Citizen - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 7:03 pm:
“…let’s hope there are several wanting to take his place…” I think at this stage in the states corruption investigations “hope” is the last thing we need. We need a demonstration of committment from that office to continuing if not increasing the effort in this pursuit. They’ve lost Collins, delayed Rezko’s trial for a YEAR, what next? I was anticipating indictments not abandonments. Who will investigate the investigators????
- Patrick McDonough - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 7:41 pm:
Most if not all good guy types watch the bad guys make deals, live really well. Bad Boyz drive the Benz, good guys get the old wreck. Bad boyz live in the high rise, good boyz rent the apartment. Bad boyz get the nice boat, good boyz eat McDonalds. A badge means nothing in Chicago, never has, never will. P.S. Collins, I saw you at work at the Sorich Trial, Thanks. We need you, but I understand. God Speed, Good Luck. Patrick McDonough.
- Papa Legba - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 7:46 pm:
Not to worry. Unless they completely turn over the Chicago Office to prosecutors sympathetic to democrats, and completely incompetent, the indictments will flow.
The garbage going on in Illinois starts from the top of Blago’s crunchy hair sprayed head to Rezko “appointee$” chasing skirt, trying to bed their assistants and who knows what.
By the time they get all the documents in order it will look like they are rolling out the Federal budget.
- fed up dem - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 8:19 pm:
I too have had contact with Patrick Collins and just today was mentioning how lucky the Northern District of Illinois was to have been. Thanks for all you’ve done for us. I would wish him good luck, but as an attorney of 30 years duration and having become a pretty good job of recogninzing the special people in my profession I know he doesn’t need it. Also having served my time as a government attorney, I know the financial sacrifice can become too great at times. As for Fitz have people forgotten he put Gotti and the WTC bombers away?
- A Citizen - Thursday, Mar 1, 07 @ 8:58 pm:
Good point - I had forgotten. Sorry for the pessimism earlier, guess I’ve gotten a bit impatient. My HS Civics teacher always liked to say “The wheels of government turn exceedingly slow but exceedingly fine. I should learn to be more patient and positive. Thanks for the reminder.
- D & J - Friday, Mar 2, 07 @ 7:34 am:
Daley won big.
Obama will be President.
A new US Attorneys will come in.
The old US attorneys will make a lot of money when the leave.
All the investigations will cease.
Certain political insiders will continue to make a ton of money in questionable deals.
Patronage will return in full force.
- Squideshi - Friday, Mar 2, 07 @ 9:50 am:
If the investigations do cease, it will be time for citizen taxpayer lawsuits.
- Not So Fast - Friday, Mar 2, 07 @ 11:28 am:
Anonymous, falsifying interview scores is legitimate behavior?
- Faster than the G - Friday, Mar 2, 07 @ 12:35 pm:
For Richard Dlaey that is legitimate behavior or at least his underlings. Don’t expect much.
- Anonymoose - Friday, Mar 2, 07 @ 10:10 pm:
John Kass’s article today on Collins more than just hints that Collins will be back in public life to take on the Combine in an elective office. Anybody know if he is a Democrat or Republican?