As I've been following the Rothstein ponzi scheme story, something about the the defense by the partners at Rothstein-Rosenfeldt-Adler Law Firm seemed familiar. And then when I read the article in The BizJournal about Russel Adler, I realized that I did know the story.
Charles, Lord Lichtman, is solicitor general for His Royal Majesty, The Emperor.
He is no fan of Russell, Lord BlackAdler, and his fiendish companion, the blackhearted Baldrickstein. Lord Lichtman has been biding his time, knowing that Lord Russell's swagger will lead him to the scene of the crime.
But BlackAdler is as slippery as his venomous namesake, and in the timeworn tradition of thugs and thieves, has arranged matters so that his henchman, Baldricstein, will take the fall for the foul crime.
Lord Lichtman: Lord BlackAdler, the Emperor has ordered that be you held for trial and face charges for defrauding the Crown by selling His Majesty imaginary clothes, while insisting they were in fact real clothes.
Black Adler: Oh, yes, Scott Baldricstein had me completely fooled.
Lord Lichtman: Excuse me?
Black Adler: Oh yes, I had no idea that the clothes weren't real.
Lord Lichtman: Do you expect us to believe that you didn't know that the clothes didn't exist?
Black Adler: Well, the governor and the sheriff didn't know. Why should I have been expected to know?
Lord Lichtman: Really? This is your defense?
BlackAdler: My dear Lord Lichtman, I assure you that I am as innocent as a suckling child.
Lord Lichtman: Didn't you work on the clothes?
BlackAdler: Well, not as much as Baldricstein. He sewed them together. He's quite skilled. I've little talent for manual labour, as you may know.
Lord Lichtman: So what was your part in the affair?
BlackAdler: Management and administration, mostly. Tried to modernize the old place, cut the red tape, go green, all of that - I made the firm paperless.
Lord Lichtman: In fact, did you not accomplish your "paperless office" simply by burning all of the firm's records?
BlackAdler: It was cold; I recycled them into heat. Waste not, want not, that's what I always say.
Lord Lichtman: But getting back to the Emperors non-existent -
BlackAdler: - situationally invisible -
Lord Lichtman: - NON EXISTENT - wardrobe, did you not have an active part in that?
BlackAdler: Well, I did cut them to the pattern of course.
Lord Lichtman: You... cut them to pattern.
BlackAdler: The pattern Baldricstein created. Yes.
Lord Lichtman: You took scissors to the cloth....
BlackAdler: Yes.
Lord Lichtman: ...and then you cut the cloth....
BlackAdder: Yes.
Lord Lichtman: ...even though there was no cloth to cut.
BlackAdler: Well, I had no reason to know that. I know, in hindsight, I suppose it does look rather foolish. But you must understand, Baldricstein was so caught up with the styles and colours, and sales were so good...
Lord Lichtman: Sales? You mean the sales of clothing that didn't exist?
BlackAdler: The customers were always so pleased with their purchases.
Lord Lichtman: But you weren't selling them anything!
BlackAdler: How was I to know that? Everyone seemed to think they were buying stylish clothes, everyone has their own tastes, who am I to say different? "To Each His Own."
Lord Lichtman: In fact, your firm never purchased cloth of any sort. Or thread.
BlackAdler: We had a sewing machine, and I used the scissors myself.
Lord Lichtman: On non-existent cloth.
BlackAdler: So you say. Baldricstein said it was "situationally invisible."
Lord Lichtman: "Situationally Invisible."
BlackAdler: Exactly.
Lord Lichtman: And what does that mean?
BlackAdler: In certain situations, you can't see it.
Lord Lichtman: "Certain Situations."
Black Adler: Exactly.
Lord Lichtman: Such as?
BlackAdler: Well, this is according to Baldricstein, you understand, if you were stupid, incompetent, or unfit for your position, you wouldn't be able to see the cloth. That's what he maintained, anyway, and he was running the show.
Lord Lichtman: And you went along with this?
BlackAdler: Well, I didn't want to appear stupid. After all, the Governor liked them well enough. He spoke highly of their fine textures and draping. I'd like to believe that I'm at least as smart as the Governor.
Lord Lichtman: Wasn't the Governor an old friend of Baldricsteins?
Baldricstein: You know, I do believe you're right.
(With apologies to Hans Christian Anderson and Rowan Atkinson)
Charles, Lord Lichtman, is solicitor general for His Royal Majesty, The Emperor.He is no fan of Russell, Lord BlackAdler, and his fiendish companion, the blackhearted Baldrickstein. Lord Lichtman has been biding his time, knowing that Lord Russell's swagger will lead him to the scene of the crime.
But BlackAdler is as slippery as his venomous namesake, and in the timeworn tradition of thugs and thieves, has arranged matters so that his henchman, Baldricstein, will take the fall for the foul crime.
Lord Lichtman: Lord BlackAdler, the Emperor has ordered that be you held for trial and face charges for defrauding the Crown by selling His Majesty imaginary clothes, while insisting they were in fact real clothes.
Black Adler: Oh, yes, Scott Baldricstein had me completely fooled.
Lord Lichtman: Excuse me?
Black Adler: Oh yes, I had no idea that the clothes weren't real.
Lord Lichtman: Do you expect us to believe that you didn't know that the clothes didn't exist?
Black Adler: Well, the governor and the sheriff didn't know. Why should I have been expected to know?
Lord Lichtman: Really? This is your defense?
BlackAdler: My dear Lord Lichtman, I assure you that I am as innocent as a suckling child.
Lord Lichtman: Didn't you work on the clothes?
BlackAdler: Well, not as much as Baldricstein. He sewed them together. He's quite skilled. I've little talent for manual labour, as you may know.
Lord Lichtman: So what was your part in the affair?
BlackAdler: Management and administration, mostly. Tried to modernize the old place, cut the red tape, go green, all of that - I made the firm paperless.
Lord Lichtman: In fact, did you not accomplish your "paperless office" simply by burning all of the firm's records?
BlackAdler: It was cold; I recycled them into heat. Waste not, want not, that's what I always say.
Lord Lichtman: But getting back to the Emperors non-existent -
BlackAdler: - situationally invisible -
Lord Lichtman: - NON EXISTENT - wardrobe, did you not have an active part in that?
BlackAdler: Well, I did cut them to the pattern of course.
Lord Lichtman: You... cut them to pattern.
BlackAdler: The pattern Baldricstein created. Yes.
Lord Lichtman: You took scissors to the cloth....
BlackAdler: Yes.
Lord Lichtman: ...and then you cut the cloth....
BlackAdder: Yes.
Lord Lichtman: ...even though there was no cloth to cut.
BlackAdler: Well, I had no reason to know that. I know, in hindsight, I suppose it does look rather foolish. But you must understand, Baldricstein was so caught up with the styles and colours, and sales were so good...
Lord Lichtman: Sales? You mean the sales of clothing that didn't exist?
BlackAdler: The customers were always so pleased with their purchases.
Lord Lichtman: But you weren't selling them anything!
BlackAdler: How was I to know that? Everyone seemed to think they were buying stylish clothes, everyone has their own tastes, who am I to say different? "To Each His Own."
Lord Lichtman: In fact, your firm never purchased cloth of any sort. Or thread.
BlackAdler: We had a sewing machine, and I used the scissors myself.
Lord Lichtman: On non-existent cloth.
BlackAdler: So you say. Baldricstein said it was "situationally invisible."
Lord Lichtman: "Situationally Invisible."
BlackAdler: Exactly.
Lord Lichtman: And what does that mean?
BlackAdler: In certain situations, you can't see it.
Lord Lichtman: "Certain Situations."
Black Adler: Exactly.
Lord Lichtman: Such as?
BlackAdler: Well, this is according to Baldricstein, you understand, if you were stupid, incompetent, or unfit for your position, you wouldn't be able to see the cloth. That's what he maintained, anyway, and he was running the show.
Lord Lichtman: And you went along with this?
BlackAdler: Well, I didn't want to appear stupid. After all, the Governor liked them well enough. He spoke highly of their fine textures and draping. I'd like to believe that I'm at least as smart as the Governor.
Lord Lichtman: Wasn't the Governor an old friend of Baldricsteins?
Baldricstein: You know, I do believe you're right.
(With apologies to Hans Christian Anderson and Rowan Atkinson)
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