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10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Alan Fenster.md
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@ -20,15 +20,15 @@ Alan Fenster was a Beverly Hills criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor
### Defense of Ricky Ross
Fenster served as Ross's attorney during the [[DEA]] reverse sting prosecution in [[San Diego]], where [[Danilo Blandon|Danilo Blandón]] served as the chief confidential informant. Fenster described enormous difficulty obtaining any discovery about the government's informant, including Blandón's identity. Ross only knew Blandón as "Danilo" and was not even certain that was his real name.[^2]
Fenster served as Ross's attorney during the [[DEA]] reverse sting prosecution in [[San Diego]], where [[Danilo Blandon|Danilo Blandón]] served as the chief confidential informant. Fenster described enormous difficulty obtaining any discovery about the government's informant, including Blandón's identity. Ross only knew Blandón as "Danilo" and was not even certain that was his real name.[^2]
### The Ross Trial
At the 1996 trial, Fenster fought to obtain government records about Blandón's Contra connections but was repeatedly stymied by prosecutor [[LJ Oneale]]. Fenster filed a motion to dismiss based on the government's illegal withholding of evidence, attaching an affidavit from a private investigator who had spoken to [[Gary Webb]]. The motion exposed Webb's investigation and brought the [[Los Angeles Times|L.A. Times]] into the story.[^3]
At the 1996 trial, Fenster fought to obtain government records about Blandón's Contra connections but was repeatedly stymied by prosecutor [[LJ Oneale]]. Fenster filed a motion to dismiss based on the government's illegal withholding of evidence, attaching an affidavit from a private investigator who had spoken to [[Gary Webb]]. The motion exposed Webb's investigation and brought the [[Los Angeles Times|L.A. Times]] into the story.[^3]
During the trial, Fenster cross-examined Blandón extensively about his Contra ties, pressing him on his shifting claims about when he stopped selling cocaine for the Contras. When Blandón claimed he quit in 1982, Fenster asked: "Is it your testimony that you decided to keep the profits from the drug dealing because the Contra organization had enough money to fund their own war?" Blandón paused and looked at O'Neale before saying: "When we raise money for the Contra revolution, we received orders from the," he paused, "from another people." Because of the court order prohibiting CIA testimony, Fenster was unable to pursue that line of inquiry.[^3]
During the trial, Fenster cross-examined Blandón extensively about his Contra ties, pressing him on his shifting claims about when he stopped selling cocaine for the Contras. When Blandón claimed he quit in 1982, Fenster asked: "Is it your testimony that you decided to keep the profits from the drug dealing because the Contra organization had enough money to fund their own war?" Blandón paused and looked at O'Neale before saying: "When we raise money for the Contra revolution, we received orders from the," he paused, "from another people." Because of the court order prohibiting CIA testimony, Fenster was unable to pursue that line of inquiry.[^3]
Webb secretly supplied Fenster with questions to ask Blandón during cross-examination, after Blandón told Webb that the DEA would not allow him to give an interview. "How am I supposed to cross-examine this guy? I don't even know what to ask!" Fenster told Webb during a lunch break. "Isn't this just crazy? I mean, here I am, defending a man against a life sentence, and I've got to ask some reporter if the prosecution testimony is accurate."[^3]
Webb secretly supplied Fenster with questions to ask Blandón during cross-examination, after Blandón told Webb that the DEA would not allow him to give an interview. "How am I supposed to cross-examine this guy? I don't even know what to ask!" Fenster told Webb during a lunch break. "Isn't this just crazy? I mean, here I am, defending a man against a life sentence, and I've got to ask some reporter if the prosecution testimony is accurate."[^3]
### Footnotes