Former lawyer for Fugees rapper Pras Michel fined and sentenced in contempt case
A former lawyer for Fugees rapper Pras Michel was sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation and will have to pay a $5,000 fine after he admitted to violating a court order by sharing protected discovery material with reporters in the run-up to his client’s 2023 trial.
A former lawyer for Fugees rapper Pras Michel was sentenced Friday to one year of unsupervised probation and will have to pay a fine after he admitted to violating a court order by sharing protected discovery material with reporters in the run-up to his client’s 2023 trial.
David Kenner, 82, agreed to plead guilty to one count of criminal contempt as part of a deal with prosecutors that ensured he would not face jail time.
It initially appeared as if U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta might reject the deal during Friday’s virtual hearing, saying a lack of punishment for Kenner might send the “wrong signal” to other lawyers bound by protective orders. Mehta ultimately accepted the deal after the parties agreed he retained the right to impose a maximum fine of $5,000.
“Maybe it’s a small, but symbolic thing, but it would make a difference to me,” Mehta said of the fine.
Kenner’s lawyer, Barrett Boss, did not push back on the $5,000 fine but told Mehta that his client had spent $1.4 million out of pocket on expenses arising from Michel’s defense.
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