Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Coincidence: Dr. Treevorkian’s new lawyer has connections to Bobby Lowder

Amid news reports that Dr. Treevorkian, aka Harvey Almorn Updike, has gone hermit and is now living in a van down by the river or something, the man accused of attempted herbicide and criminal mischief in the poisoning of the Toomer’s Corner has finally found a lawyer.

The first three attorneys appointed by the court to represent him have, one by one, asked to be excused from the case due to alleged conflicts of interest and irreconcilable differences.  The first two claimed conflicts of interest based on ties to Auburn University. The third cited “irreconcilable differences” which, to me, suggests that despite never apparently attending class at Auburn, he’s all in with teh fambly (If you think that’s something, wait until we get to jury selection in the Lee County courthouse).

Along comes Glennon Threatt, Jr.

image Mr. Threatt, as you may recall, represented former Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford in his trial on federal bribery and corruption charges in 2009. Langford was convicted of those charges and later sentenced to 15 years in the federal pen, where he remains to this day, professing his innocence.

Langford also made news when a lawsuit was filed, alleging that he walked into an Alabama casino and was escorted to certain bingo machines, that delivered eye-popping jackpots in the tens of thousands.

Take a wild-assed guess at who owned the casino at the center of that controversy.  If you guessed Milton McGregor, you win the Daily Jackpot and will receive one free year of IBCR blog content! Stay on the line and we’ll get your details…

But back to Dr. Treevorkian’s new defender, Glennon Threatt, Jr.  He is not a first, second or even third year criminal defense attorney who works for peanuts taking court appointed lawyer assignments. The dude is a white collar criminal defense lawyer and is reportedly well compensated for his services in criminal defense. Maybe he can afford to take Dr. Treevorkian’s case pro bono, but it’s curious that such a high powered white collar criminal defense attorney is defending a man accused of the most notorious incident of criminal mischief in modern state history.

Or, is it?

According to this website, Mr. Threatt either once worked for or is still affiliated with the law firm of Miller Hamilton Snider & Odom, one of Alabama’s largest and most prominent law firms. One of the founders of the Miller Hamilton legal juggermaut was Jack Miller.

Who was Jack Miller?


Lowder is now coming home to his beloved Auburn. He is building a mansion in the scholarly neighborhood of Pinedale, home to many present and former Auburn professors and administrators.

There goes the neighborhood.

Drive by and look at the place. During the past week, from 30 to 40 cars and trucks have crowded the block in a mad scramble to finish work on the house.

It’s rather a sad spectacle. Without his big money, his big bank, his big jet, his powerful control of the AU board, I doubt he will find many real friends. Money does buy friends, but those so bought are as plastic as Colonial credit cards.

Coming to Auburn, he has said he can remain more focused on family and Auburn University. Maybe the family side will work out; being more focused, involved in Auburn will not.

That focus may have played a role in the loss of his bank. His input at AU is not wanted and he will quickly get that message. His power on the “new” board is all but gone.

He lost the left side of his brain with the recent death of Jack Miller, Lowder’s $4 million-per-year Mobile lawyer. Gone is his chief ally in the Alabama Senate, Lowell Barron, and an Auburn trustee about as slimy as Lowder. Death claimed two good guys on the board, Jack Venable and Charlie Glover.


image There are other publications documenting the relationship between Lowder and his “left brain”. As with many of Lowder’s associates, Mr. Miller served on the AU board of trustees and had a multimillion dollar business relationship with the Money Man.

Mr. Miller also once employed the man now charged with defending Dr. Treevorkian against charges that he poisoned Auburn’s beloved 130-year old Live Oaks at Toomer’s Corner. If I was Updyke, I think I’d go live in a van down by the river, too.

There are just too damned many coincidences, with too many of the same faces showing up the most unusual places.

Exit question:  Does Mr. Threatt use the TiderInsider.com postings as a means of creating reasonable doubt at trial, or does this case even go to trial?

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