Snowden Retained Expert in Espionage Act Defense

[struggle4progress]

By CHARLIE SAVAGE and MATT APUZZO
APRIL 28, 2014

WASHINGTON — Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who provided journalists a trove of classified documents, retained a well-known Washington defense lawyer last summer in hopes of reaching a plea deal with federal prosecutors that would allow him to return to the United States and spare him significant prison time ...

The lawyer, according to people familiar with the investigation, is Plato Cacheris, who has represented defendants in some of the highest-profile cases involving Espionage Act charges, including the convicted spies Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen and the convicted leaker Lawrence Franklin ...

In 2001, Mr. Cacheris represented Mr. Hanssen, an F.B.I. agent charged with spying for the Soviet Union and Russia. He negotiated a plea deal for a life sentence, sparing Mr. Hanssen the death penalty and allowing his wife to collect part of his pension.

In 1994, Mr. Cacheris represented Mr. Ames, a Central Intelligence Agency officer charged with being a Russian agent. Mr. Cacheris negotiated a deal for a life sentence for Mr. Ames and a lighter sentence for Mr. Ames's wife for aiding his spying ...

[struggle4progress]

1. Snowden lawyer: Famous for espionage clients … and Monica Lewinsky

By Colby Itkowitz
April 29 at 10:51 am

... But a New York Times story published Tuesday morning about Cacheris taking on Snowden’s case leaves out perhaps the lawyer’s most famous clients: Monica Lewinsky, President Bill Clinton’s mistress; and Fawn Hall, of the Iran-Contra scandal. Cacheris helped Lewinsky receive immunity from prosecution, freeing her to testify about her sexual relationship with Clinton. He also got immunity for Hall, who was secretary to Oliver North, so she could speak freely ...

The mega-lawyer has been the go-to defense lawyer for most D.C. scandals since representing Attorney General John Mitchell during the Watergate crisis ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2014/04/29/snowden-lawyer-famous-for-espionage-clients-and-monica-lewinsky/

[randome]

2. Either their relationship has expired or they aren't in frequent contact.

Snowden does not appear to be taking legal advice from anyone these days.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

[msanthrope]

3. He's not coming back under his own terms. If he could not agree to the terms

Cacheris negotiated for him, then he's truly Putin's plaything.

[elias49]

4. If Cacheris negotiated another life sentence..

I'd stay in Russia for the time being.
Good luck Mr Snowden.

[msanthrope]

5. I suspect the negoitated terms that would have had a mental health

element that Snowden would not have agreed to. That is unfortunate.

To be in Russia without the ability to drink is hell indeed.