The Miami Herald's Dan Christensen tells the story today of how defense attorney Hilliard Moldof was given a "break" -- and not prosecuted or even so much as suspended for bribing a witness in a murder case.
The case involved the torture and murder of 47-year-old Michael Sortal, the brother of Sun-Sentinel reporter Nick Sortal. Michael Sortal's two killers, Kevin Hoffman and Geoffrey Kennedy, are both in prison, but evidence came to light that Moldof, Hoffman's attorney, paid Kennedy to change his story. The case was handed to Miami-Dade State Attorney Kathy Rundle's office.
Even though the evidence was there, Rundle's office decided not to prosecute. Instead, prosecutors deferred the case to the Florida Bar, which they say they hoped would suspend Moldof's license. The Bar, however, termed the payoff "minor misconduct" and chose not to take any action against the well-known defense attorney.
Both Rundle and the Bar deserve equal blame for this disgrace.
