Who Are Plato Cacheris And Jacob Stein?
By Pierre Thomas/CNN
WASHINGTON (June 3) -- "We are the defense team for Monica Lewinsky," attorneys Plato Cacheris and Jacob Stein announced Tuesday.
The ex-White House intern has turned to two veteran criminal attorneys: men who know the ways of Washington and the ways of high-stakes, high profile cases.
"We hope we have a lot to bring to the table," Cacheris said.
Co-counsel for John Mitchell in the Watergate prosecution, Cacheris also represented convicted CIA spy Aldrich Ames in perhaps the worst espionage case in U.S. history. And he was the attorney for Iran-Contra figure Fawn Hall, Oliver North's secretary.
Stein is the former independent counsel who investigated and cleared one-time Attorney General Ed Meese. He also served as a defense counsel in the Watergate case.
And he is no stranger to sexual scandal. He represented former Oregon Sen. Bob Packwood against allegations of sexual harassment.
A source close to Lewinsky's legal team praised the new attorneys, saying, "There was a lot of personal bitterness and resentment with Ginsburg and [Independent Counsel Ken] Starr. It got personal and it got ugly ... They can start out with a clean slate."
In many ways, they could not be more different than the man they replace. Bill Ginsburg, a California medical malpractice attorney, had virtually no criminal law background.
While Ginsburg became a fixture on television, speaking freely and often about details in the case, no one should expect the same from Cacheris and Stein.
During the Ames case, Cacheris said, "While the case is in court, I really don't feel comfortable discussing it."
Stein is also known to be stingy with the news media. On his office wall he once had a bluefish mounted on a plaque with the inscription, "If I'd kept my big mouth shut, I wouldn't be here."
Cacheris and Stein are both skilled trial attorneys. Cacheris is known as a top-flight negotiator, while Stein is described as extremely analytical. One longtime Washington attorney told CNN they will be a potent team.
|