STANFORD CONTINUES TO IRRITATE THE APPEALS COURT WITH HIS CONDUCT

If I was the convicted Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford, whose current release date is April 17, 2105, when he will be 154 years old, I would tread softly when dealing with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, who literally holds my life in its hands. Stanford, who is appealing his conviction and sentence, continues to ask the Court for favors, which it does not choose to grant.

Stanford filed numerous objections to extensions of time granted to the Government attorney handling the appeal, and even resorted to personal attacks on the lawyer herself, which surely will not endear him to the Court. Finally, when he did not prevail in his objections, he asked the Court to allow him to file a supplemental brief, which in essence was using the Governmental delay as excuse to add to his initial brief, which the Court previously restricted in size. He stated that he wanted to brief four additional issues.

Supplemental briefs are rarely permitted, for instance when a new issue has been raised by the Court during Oral Argument. I do not see where the Rules of Appellate Procedure provide for it in his situation, and I am wondering whether his actions merely reflect the arrogant nature of his personality, which was well known to his associates, when he operated the fraud known as Stanford International Bank, in Antigua.

You may recall that Stanford has been dueling with the Court on various issues, with a lack of success; his actions have resulted in both the Court, and the Clerk, being required to take valuable time to repeatedly respond to what many certainly feel were excessive requests.

Now, the Court has entered an order denying his motion for leave to file a supplemental brief, which is but one more time his motions have been rebuffed. One wonder when Mr. Stanford will get the message, and stop pestering the Court, unless he has something with merit.