Well from Judge Marmaros court, Dept. 83, I strolled into one of my favorite courtrooms, that of Judge Thomas Trent Lewis, Department 79. Judge Lewis has been sitting on the bench since 2006 and talk about a stride, he has what I consider a “stroll.” One thing for sure is that Judge Lewis knows his stuff and has the answers to most questions presented to him and when he doesn’t, he finds it and fast. As I am sitting and enjoying my few minutes I hear, Sir you need to throw out your gum,” this coming from a women sitting a few feet from me…I think she is a clerk, whatever. I am now chewing privately (note: New York – Boston the courts are so big I often sat in the back and ate a meatball sub and no one cared, now I have helpful Hanna telling me about gum).
This was a great moment. Judge Lewis is having to deal with not the Persian Two-Step but what I understood to be the Bulgarian Two-Step …a few different steps, the ex-hubby in this case has not cooperated with anything in FIVE YEARS! “All the records were stolen,” there is not a single document to date. For sure the theft of records is big business. I bet if there was a cash refund of some sort all those records would be found. Talk about blowing off the laws of divorce. There is a receiver involved — our friend David Pasternak, Esq., and there is a line of credit. Judge Lewis makes it clear that he is going to make orders to use that line of credit AND DID! $149,000 to pay the lawyers, and throws an additional $7500 at Trope and Trope for a “rule violation”…LMAO, see the judge did not forget! Judge Lewis is not letting this case go and wanted to be sure that the two lawyers, Robert Fairfield and Brian P. Lepak, Esq. of Trope and Trope had the funds to continue. Judge Lewis was not going to allow the Bulgarian Prince to smoke his wife and counsel out.
Also on the horizon is the sale of real estate, here is a clue to the Bulgarian Prince, he better reset his course of action. Get real and start playing nice or this judge is going to order the receiver to begin selling assets to make his point. Second point of view is to wake up and cooperate, I think Judge Lewis knows exactly what you are doing. The other issue is that Mr. Lepaks client was sitting next to him, she cares! Sitting next to Mr. Fairfield was dead air, no client, why you ask? His client does not care and thinks he is being smart…my dear prince you better begin to show up!
At one point Mr. Lepak tells Judge Lewis, “you are playing right into his hands”…Brian, I am not a lawyer, just a guy who bumps around and tries to take care of my kids, but I think that this judge is not playing and understands exactly what he is doing. Judge Lewis looked at both lawyers and in a way you’d have to be present to hear, stated, I am not swaying from my tentative. Someone better go and find those “For Sale” signs!