No Action taken against “Creepy” jury stalker, Attorney Scott Greenspan.

Somehow Greenspan thinks “no action” being taken translates to “complete exoneration”. Stop laughing!

Syracuse, NY -- A Manhattan lawyer accused of stalking an Onondaga County jury on behalf of insurance giant AIG won't face discipline by a court system panel, according to the New York Law Journal.

State Supreme Court Justice Deborah Karalunas threw out the verdict in a lawsuit against Small Smiles in November 2013 after ruling that lawyer Scott Greenspan had prejudiced the jury. The jury found no wrongdoing against the now-defunct dentistry accused of malpractice it its office on South Geddes Street.

Karalunas had described Greenspan's actions as 'creepy' and 'seedy' in her Nov. 18 decision.

But Greenspan called the decision by the court's disciplinary committee a "complete exoneration," the law journal reported. Greenspan said the accusations turned his professional career upside down. He's now looking for a new job.

Read entire article here

 

Related:

'Creepy' jury stalker hired by insurance giant AIG forces retrial in Syracuse dentistry malpractice case

AIG’s “Creepy” and “Seedy” Stalking Attorney Story from Dr. Bicuspid’s Donna Domino

 

New trial ordered for Small Smiles case

 

By Donna Domino, Features Editor

November 19, 2013 -- A New York judge on November 18 ordered a new trial in the Small Smiles case after ruling that a lawyer for the insurance company stalked the jury during the trial. The judge found that the lawyer's misconduct intimidated the jury and probably influenced the verdict in favor of Small Smiles.

In October, the jury found that Small Smiles dentists did not perform unnecessary dental procedures on Jeremy Bohn. Justice Deborah Karalunas found that corporate ownership of the clinics was illegal under state law, but the jury found no liability by the company or the dentists.

But after the jury's verdict, jurors complained about a man who "stalked them throughout the trial," according to the November 18 ruling by Justice Karalunas in the New York Supreme Court.

Jurors complained that Scott Greenspan, an attorney who works for the National Union Fire Insurance Company, was following them and videotaping them. National Union is the insurer for Forba Holdings, the former operator of Small Smiles, and the three dentists named in the lawsuit. The jurors said Greenspan followed them when they went out to lunch, took smoking breaks, and when they were in the elevator.

Read more here

The “Creepy” and “Seedy” Stalking Attorney” story is spreading.

The “Creepy and Seedy” Stalking Attorney” story is spreading.  I think once I used “sleazy”.  That was a mistake, it was “seedy”.  I want to make sure I correct that right away.  LOL

'Stalking' of Jury Leads to Malpractice Retrial

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

By NICK DIVITO 
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (CN) - Near "stalking" by the attorney AIG hired to monitor a dental-malpractice trial "violated the sanctity of the jury" and compels a retrial, a judge ruled.
     With the verdict thrown out, Kelly Varano will have another chance to prove that her son, Jeremy Bohn, did not receive proper care from Syracuse dental clinic Small Smiles and its parent company, Forba Holdings.
     It's one of 2,900 such lawsuits filed across the nation against the dental chain, which is insured by AIG.
     After the jury in Varano's case ruled for the defense last month, its members confided in Judge Deborah Karalunas that they felt they were being "stalked" by a spectator from the trial.
     Identifying that man as AIG's Manhattan-based attorney, Scott Greenspan, Karalunas ordered a new trial Monday.
     "Mr. Greespan's conduct violated the sanctity of the jury, raises ground for suspicion that the decision was founded on something other than the evidence, and was prejudicial and likely to influence the verdict," Karalunas wrote.
     One of the attorneys who filed the underlying lawsuit, Jim Moriarty, told Courthouse News that he was "thrilled" with the decision.
     In 40 years practicing law, "I have never seen an attorney go as far out of line as this lawyer did," Moriarty added. "To me it's dumbfounding."

AIG’s stalking attorney, Scott Greenspan is making headlines.

AIG’s stalking attorney, Scott Greenspan is making headlines.  Below is the article from The Post-Standard in Syracuse, NY.  Most interesting are the comments.  I’ve reposted just a few following the article.  There is an article at the New York Law Journal as well – subscription required

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Creepy' jury stalker hired by insurance giant AIG forces retrial in Syracuse dentistry malpractice case

Douglass Dowty | ddowty@syracuse.com By Douglass Dowty  ddowty@syracuse.com

November 19, 2013 at 6:07 AM

Syracuse, NY -- A jury's finding of no wrongdoing against a Syracuse dentistry accused of mistreating poor children will not stand after a "creepy" jury stalker prejudiced the verdict, a judge ruled Monday.

State Supreme Court Justice Deborah Karalunas ordered a new trial in the malpractice case against Small Smiles dental clinic, which operated on South Geddes Street before closing in March 2012.

The parents of Jeremy Bohn were among nearly three dozen to accuse Small Smiles of unneeded and improper treatment involving poor children. Bohn's case was decided by jury in October, which found no wrongdoing by the dental clinic.

But in a weird twist, the jurors complained to the judge after the trial about a stalker. The man was identified as Scott Greenspan, who said he was hired by the dental clinic's insurance company, AIG. Greenspan told the judge he was hired to observe the trial, nothing more.

But here are some descriptions of Greenspan's actions, taken from court transcripts after the trial:

Judge Karalunas:

The first question the jurors asked me was whether they did a good job. The second
question the jurors asked me was who was the individual who was stalking them
throughout this trial. When I inquired of the jurors what did the person look like who was "stalking" them, to use the juror's word, they advised me that it was the individual who I had admonished - I don't know that the jury used that word - during the course of the trial, the individual with the computer.

Judge Orders Retrial for 1st Small Smiles Malpractice Case in New York–“Creepy” AIG Attorney Stalks Jurors

Syracuse, NY -  In October a verdict for the defendants was handed down by the jury in the 1st of 33 malpractice cases against Small Smiles and their dentists slated to be heard in New York courts.

Just after the verdict, the jury informed the judge they were stalked throughout the 15 day trial by a “creep” and “sleazy” guy who turned out to be a New York attorney by the name of Scott Greenspan.  Greenspan was hired by malpractice insurance carrier National Union Fire Insurance Company, a division of AIG .

Now, “upon examination of the facts”, Judge Deborah Karalunas. has ordered a new trial, concluding “…that Mr. Greenspan made improper contact with the jury.”

In her November 18, 2013 decision, Judge Karalunas finds AIG attorney Scott Greenspan’s conduct “violated the sanctity of the jury, raises ground for suspicion that the decision was found on something other than the evidence and was prejudicial and likely to influence the verdict.”

“This is not a matter of an isolated elevator conversation, cake for juror appreciation day or expression of condolence.  This is a case where jurors over a 15-day period believed that they were stalked, videotaped and closely monitored by a person they believed worked for the defendants,” says Judge Karalunas.

“This is a case where jurors performing their civic duty were made to feel bothered and scared.”

Under questioning by Judge Karalunas, one juror said:

“He followed us everywhere. When we would go to lunch, he’d follow us to where we were going.  One day we had an hour and 15 minutes, a little extra time, so we walked down to the Armory Square to Blue Tusk.  And I told the other jurors, this guy is following us everywhere.  So after the third time I saw him, I said look behind you, that’s what I’d say to them, and he would always be there.

“But when we would go on the elevator, he would always be there.  when we got outside, we would go to have a cigarette right out front, he’s always be standing close by.  When we got back on the elevator to come up,he was always there.”

‘…the only times we did not see him out of the whole time was once we went to Ale and Angus and once we went over to The Mission and we didn’t see him there.”

The juror told Judge Karalunas that Mr. Greenspan was in the elevator “at least half the time, if not three quarters of the time.” 

So there ya have it.  A new trial and I would guess that National Union/AIG would need to pick up the tab for this. Now, wouldn’t it have just been easier to write this child a check for all the hell he’s been put though?!  Just saying…

Small Smiles Dental Syracuse Bohn Malpractice New Trial Decision

Small Smiles Dental Center Attorneys Want “Jury Stalking” Proceedings Sealed

I know a little about creepy attorneys and Small Smiles. See, it was about this time of year in 2008, Small Smiles Dental Centers sent a creepy attorney, named Thor, knocking on doors, of anyone in a 100 mile radius of me that had my same name. (By the way, there are several)  It was well into the night when he knocked on mine.  He was searching for the person (me) who was exposing the secrets of their criminal dental scam, which was defrauding Medicaid from hundreds of millions of dollars. They wanted me to shut the hell up! 

Now, Small Smiles Dental Centers and their malpractice insurance carrier want to silence the post-trial proceedings dealing with their jury tampering in the first malpractice trial in Syracuse, New York.  I’m shocked! (sarcasm)

National Union Fire Insurance Company (NUFIC) a subsidiary of American International Group (AIG) hired New York attorney, Scott Greenspan to “monitor” (a.k.a. “stalk”) the jurors of the first Small Smiles Dental/FORBA malpractice trials in Syracuse, New York.  Mr. Greenspan is a partner at Sedgwick Law, with offices around the world.  According to Mr. Greenspan he was hired by Denise D’Assaro,  AIG Complex Claims Director and it was pure coincidence he was in every restaurant they jurors visited.

Read:

•  Jury Tells Judge That ‘Creepy’ Lawyer Is ‘Stalking’ Them

• After jury clears Syracuse dentistry of mistreating boy, lawyer for dozens of other children questions 'creepy' jury stalker

NUFIC/AIG wants State Supreme Court Justice Deborah Karalunas to seal all records and court documents related to the jury stalking event.  Frankly, they would like to wave a magic wand and have the whole incident removed from, not just the record, but the memory of all parties.  I would think they especially want the transcripts where their employee Mr. Scott Greenspan is said to be“creepy” and “seedy” buried under the courthouse. 

They also want the public barred from any hearings about said jury stalking event. Well, of course they do!  They would like it if the jurors didn’t notice they had a creepy and seedy stalker but that ship has done sailed.

Apparently, on October 16, 2013 - shortly after the verdict, Judge Karalunas  called at least one juror back to court for a hearing.  I’m sure this judge wanted to hear more details of the jury stalking incident.   Heck yeah, I want to know just how far Mr. Greenspan went in his intimidating and harassing of the jurors during the 10 day trial.  What line did he not cross?  What lines did he cross without hesitation?  No doubt NUFIC/AIG wants the transcript between Judge Karalunas and the juror marked “Super Duper Top Secret”,

If there is anything that should NOT be sealed it would be this!  The public doesn’t need to know the jurors names or other person information — that should be redacted.  But, boy oh boy, the public sure needs to know the extent NUFIC/AIG will go to in order to deprive young children from being compensated for injury, pain and suffering at the hands of one of their insured.