More information on the motion filed by Kelly Ryan
The court records show further explanation on the motion as:
“Modaferri from engaging in the unauthorized practice of law and to preclude disbarred/suspended former prosecutor Gary Modafferi from sitting at counsel table and countermtoion for sanctions”
Gary Modafferi is part of the team of Cristalli & Saggese. Saggese is the lawyer for Craig Titus.
April 27th, 2007 at 2:11 am
Some obvious questions:
What did Modafferi do to get disbarred/suspended?
Why does Kelly care if he’s involved.
I would love to know how they went from a joint defense to this…I can speculate like anyone else, but I’d love to know the facts.
Things are getting interesting again.
April 27th, 2007 at 2:43 am
http://starbulletin.com/2003/09/07/news/story2.html
April 27th, 2007 at 2:50 am
I googled him.
He got busted for using meth in Hawaii in 1997…nice
Modaferri Faces Federal Drug Charges (Former Honolulu Prosecutor
Filmed Smoking ‘Ice’, FBI Says)
From: dtopping@elele.peacesat.hawaii.edu (Donald M. Topping )
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 22:39:21 -0800
Pubdate: December 8, 1997
Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Contact: editor@StarBulletin.com
Modaferri Faces Federal Drug Charges
The ex-deputy prosecutor was filmed smoking ‘ice’, FBI says
by Rod Ohira
FBI evidence into alleged drug use by Gary Modafferi includes videotape that
shows the former city deputy prosecutor smoking crystal methamphetamine.
According to an affidavit filed today in federal court by FBI agent Douglas
S. Hart, the 38-year old Honolulu attorney was filmed smoking “ice” this
year at two separate Waikiki hotels - Oct. 3 at the Outrigger Malia Hotel
and Oct. 17 at the Royal Garden Hotel.
The investigation began Sept. 9 when an unidentified “cooperating witness”
turned over a prescription pill known as zolpidem tartrate to the FBI. The
person claims to have received the pill in mid-August from Modafferi,
according to Hart’s affidavit. Modaferri is charged with knowingly and
intentionally distributing .69 gram of crystal methamphetamine, or “ice,” in
Hawaii, possession of crystal meth and distributing zolpidem tartrate.
FBI spokesman John Gillies declined comment on whether Modafferi’s arrest is
related to any other federal drug cases.
“My first reaction is I want to vomit,” said attorney Michael Jay Green, who
is representing Modafferi. “This is a guy who is respected by everyone.
“Stress happens in life and for attorneys, it can be very damaging and takes
its toll,” Green added. “Lawyers have been known to turn to drugs and
alcohol, which is why counseling services are available to them.”
Modafferi, who was arrested last night at 7:47 p.m. at his South Street
apartment, was scheduled to have an initial appearance today before
Magistrate Francis Yamashita. Green has concerns about the role of the
“cooperating witness.”
“In these type cases, I’m always interested in the role of the person but I
need to review the evidence,” Green said.
According to the affidavit, the witness accompanied Modafferi to the
Outrigger Malia Hotel on Sept. 9 and observed the attorney using crystal
meth. The witness agreed to videotape the meeting but the camera was not
positioned correctly to capture the proper images. On Sept. 22, Modafferi
went to the witness residence and was again filmed allegedly using crystal
meth. Due to a video malfunction, however, the proper images agaian were not
captured on film.
The Oct. 3 videotape shows Modafferi smoking crystal meth numerous times,
the affidavit says. “Modafferi gave (the cooperating witness) a small
plastic bag containing crystal methamphetamine which (the witness) gave to
me,” Hart said in the affidavit. “The plastic bag and its contents weighed
.69 grams, and a field test of the drug was positive for the presence of
amphetamines/methamphetamine.”
At the Royal Garden Hotel meeting on Oct. 17, Modafferi is again shown on
film smoking crystal meth numerous times.
“Modafferi gave his glass pipe to (the witness) prior to exiting the hotel,”
Hart’s affidavit says. “Agents in a nearby room viewed Modafferi smoking via
a camera which was hidden in (the witness’) room. “Scrappings from the pipe
tested positive for the presence of amphetamines/crystal methamphetamine,”
the affidavit added.
April 27th, 2007 at 3:34 am
Stop. Collaborate and listen.
April 27th, 2007 at 10:37 am
HUH????????
Nothing like pooring more gas on a already out of control fire!
Thanks for that info … Venice!
April 27th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Wow, it would seem like KR would want someone that is a lawyer (and) has had experience with (ICE) that may be able to relate better to their state of minds at the time of their offense.
You all remember KR’s and CT’s ICEGEAR clothing line they were setting up! Well ICE means speed, and Gear is a term for steroids. I’m beginning to think this clothing line was a front for more sinister dealings.
April 27th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Yeah Chain:
Those 2 brainiacs really pulled the wool over the DEA. No one would ever be able to figure that one out……..NOT
April 27th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
It’s interesting that saggese and cristalli would get within 10 miles of this character…
I’d like to know why they have this guy as part of their firm in the first place…If he is disbarred, the most he can do is grunt work and research for other lawyers…
And why would saggese and cristalli want him? Would that not cast dispersions over their firm as being somewhat sleazy?
Perhaps birds of a feather flock together?
d*
April 27th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Why is Kelly protesting his involvement?
April 27th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
Its probably not so much Kelly as it is Denue. But since the motion is filed on behalf of the defendant, it sounds like KR is protesting it. After being informed of the situation by Denue, she probably said go for it. Otherwise, I doubt KR would have any idea about who the disbarred Titus defense member is…
I also would guess there is some bad blood between Denue and the cristalli firm. Dont know why, just a hunch…
d*
April 28th, 2007 at 11:31 pm
I can’t believe some of the moves made by Craig’s defense team.
Those guys are on crack!
I mean crystal meth…
April 29th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Does anyone know if Kelly is allowed congecal visits. Is it wrong to think of this?
April 29th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
No conjugal visits in Clark County jail…
d*
April 30th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Well let’s see…9 1/2 to 10 years ago a guy who was at the time a well respected and proficient attorney fell/jumped or was pushed into the sleazy self destructive world of drugs and alcohol…. He was caught punished, lost his job,his reputation, and his ability to preform the career he trained for…. NAH… NOT ENOUGH …. let’s all continue to crucify him here. I mean come on.. he TOOK DRUGS… ten years? Not enought time has elapsed, lets begrudge him a research/paraleagel/consultant job, and more impportantly lets bash the idiots that gave him another chance. Who do they think they are kidding? The only type of people that would give someone like this stinking filthy drug taker a second chance would have to be crack heads (oh no wait) meth heads themselves! Right? I mean after all birds of a feather and all…. Personally I think someone who would dig ten years into someones past to try to besmirch those around him seems a bit nervous…frightened….insecure….and sleazy.
April 30th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Family Friend:
I can respect you sticking up for a family member.
Using Google to look into his past takes literally 2 seconds.
Obviously some of the statements here are meant as jokes.
I’m sure they’re not funny to you, because your related and that’s understandable.
April 30th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Hello!!? Denue is distancing his client from ANYONE associated with Meth. He put it on record so that anyone looking at all of the motions (jury, duh!)could see that she doesn’t want anything to do with even her husband’s law firm who gave this guy a flunky paralegal job. It’s just practicing good law, people.
Family Friend - you are obviously afraid that your son (Craig) or daugher in law (Kelly) will permanently become a pariah to society. Guess what? They did that all on their own. Not so much Kelly, because this is a first offense for her and a result of hanging out with Craig - a downright loser who will always be a loser and always be a BAD BAD MAN capable of harming, cheating, stealing and generally wasting air space on earth.
Sorry, but a spade is a spade. Fact is, this attorney was granted the PRIVILEGE to uphold the legal system when he took his oath after law school and passing the state BAR. Fact also is, he blew that through poor judgment and addiction. Should he be granted a “second chance” to get his hands dirty and create more corruption? Should a doctor who performs a mastectomy on a patient be allowed to butcher her because he’s drunk or high?
People like you make me ill - Oh, POOR POOR drug users! Poor poor serial killers! Didn’t they pay their debt to society over the course of 10 years? Yeah, they did, but they shouldn’t have the PRIVILEGE of practicing law - they should go back to school to get a degree in Typewriter Maintenance or something.
Get a life you bleeding heart!
CHAIN, interesting point about ICEGEAR. I’m sure that’s exactly what it was. Oh, how witty and cute and funny those two are. Sheesh!
April 30th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Cheap trick on the part of soon to be past attorney Denue.
My bet is that Kelly never knew that Deneu placed this motion until she heard it from the outside.
When a person violates the law and is punished, it is over. It then takes time and honest work to work themself back to where they want to be. I have more resepct for a person who makes a mistake, takes responsibility for the mistake, pays what ever price necessary to rectifty the mistake than I do for thoes persons who are hippocrates who have never made a mistake. These people just like to talk about others who have made mistakes. There has only been one perfect man that I am aware.
April 30th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Shock: I’m not trying to bash you at all, but I feel sometimes the way you speak of KR is kind of like family friend about CT. Even though I do believe that CT had more of an influence, KR’s attorney is casting stones at someone that his client is seeking maybe lienency for which is drug abuse. Not makin too much sense.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
There is no comparison between Shock’s comments and Family Friends…c’mon Chain.
There is a reason the stoner got disbarred: he broke the law and the code of professional responsibility. Attorneys are held to a higher standard, and for good reason.
If you are going to be in the courtroom holding yourself out as a practicing attorney, you must meet that standard, which is certified by your possession of a bar card. He no longer has one, and as such the decorum and professional standards need to be maintained. Look on any state bar website. You can look up the attorney violations and suspensions for all kinds of stupidity…even not paying your bar fees will get you suspended in California…
Denue is not doing anything cheap or sneaky. If anything, Sagesse and Cristalli are…..or are trying to, anyway…The Nevada bar has no record of him. He not an attorney in the eyes of the law.
The argument that this bonehead smoked crack 10 years ago and was busted for it and therefore it has no bearing on his reputation, etc today is complete bullshit. No bearing? He lost his license to practice, and is unlikely to get it back.
Like I said, birds of a feather….
d*
May 1st, 2007 at 12:18 am
Family Friend:
You’re right.
I for one think meth heads are the new oppressed members of society.
On second thought, go fuck yourself.
May 1st, 2007 at 8:23 am
I love Craig Titus! On second thought, I will fuck myself.
I love crystal meth…
May 1st, 2007 at 10:05 am
This is out of control shit! I need to go smoke a bowl of crystal meth…
Does anyone know if Kelly or CT are allowed smoke crystal meth in jail?. Is it wrong to think of this?
May 1st, 2007 at 10:57 am
Please keep the comments relevant to the posts.
Thanks!
May 1st, 2007 at 3:27 pm
If you know Mr. Modaferri, you know that he is a man with an amazing heart! Second, he has more legal experience than Cristalli and Saggese combined. He is an incredible legal mind and works incredibly hard. His experience, both legal and personal, is why he works the way he does. It’s why he works at Cristalli and Saggese. He has empathy which, in his law of choice, is far more than anyone with a law degree and a bar card could ever understand. I have sat down and talked with him on a professional and personal level. I don’t need a criminal history from ten plus years ago to tell me what kind of man he is professionally or personally. I witnessed it, personally.
Darkstar, sit down with him for ten minutes and you would realize this man has an INCREDIBLE character. Like Family Friend said, the man lost everything. After ten years, you’re going to continue to crucify this man? If you knew his work ethic and intelligence, I guarantee you would swallow your words. Your right. He isn’t an attorney. He never advertises himself as one. I’ll tell you what, he could run circles around Cristalli and Saggese, so we should just let his mind go to waste or can he pick up from a mistake and continue to live a life with a mind deserving of it?
May 1st, 2007 at 5:32 pm
I neither need nor desire to “sit down with Modaferri for 10 minutes…”
I have no idea whether what you say about him is true, and I dont care.
The only character that has been verified is that of a person who over the course of several years threw an otherwise good career into the trash because of his illegal drug trafficking and usage. He lost everything by his own hand, not some act of God. That does not connote intelligence, or sound mental reasoning. And now he is associated with the attorneys for Craig Titus.
I am not crucifying him. I am not the one sanctioning him for his repeated bad judgment. I could care less. I am simply standing on the sidelines watching another bizarre tale come out of Vegas, complete with every smarmy element one can imagine…and the trial hasnt even begun yet…
d*
May 2nd, 2007 at 12:17 am
And there will be a great deal of more important things to discuss in the months that will pass before any trial will begin.
Experience now the lull before the real storm that is now set to hit.
I too agree with that of, “A Thought Says.”
May 2nd, 2007 at 2:33 am
Family Friend:
I guess no one should dig years into anyone’s past…hell isn’t it about time we forgave O.J. and Charles Manson…
A Thought:
I’m sure Modaferri can “run circles” around Saggese and Cristalli - he’s also probably great at “go fetch”
Listen…their are plenty of talented people who fuck up there potential CT and KR included …
But don’t make them victims - they’re not
May 2nd, 2007 at 2:47 am
Everyone makes mistakes and has regrets in life.
Some are more glaring than others.
Have you ever had an intense moment of stress or pain in your life - that was right in front of your face with no escape?
I have pain and regret in my life. I have made mistakes. Huge mistakes, but no one walks in my skin, but me.
It is the same for Modafferi or Craig or Kelly.
There is the person held out to the world and the person inside of each one of us - we shield from the world - Craig was headed on this course, and he can be blamed, but at the same time he had life experiences that pushed him down a path - that is part(not all) of the reason + any of us are where we are today…GEorge Bush - could’ve been a Crip or a Blood if borne into different circumstances…There are no excuses, but there is a reality greater than any of us.
May 2nd, 2007 at 3:00 am
Modafferi for President!!!
Make that Drug Czar!!!
Make that…coffee
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:01 am
Darkstar and Mastermind - AMEN!
The point of my post was to say that this motion was NOT something Denue pulled out of his ass. And no matter my OWN opinion on past drug use, I don’t even matter! The point is, you don’t want some ex-druggie, particularly one who did what YOU did as you stand trial for murdering someone as a result of it, at YOUR TABLE!! Get a clue, a life and whatever else.
As for Vince Neil and A Thought…
These bleeding heart references to “one perfect man” and “we all make mistakes” is making me sick. Duh! Overstating the obvious is what everyone seems to want to do. We know! They’re in jail. It’s not about that, it’s about one simple idea: WHO in their right mind would want an ex-druggie who was disbarred for the use of ICE anywhere near their defense if that is what they are on trial for having used in order to approximate the altered state to KILL another human being??! This stuff about “let he who has not sinned cast the first stone” crap and allusion isn’t even germane to what we’re talking about.
And by the way, “A Thought”… even if I was personal friends with Modaferri, I would still say he shouldn’t be anywhere NEAR this case or that table. Incredible minds are definitely walking the earth, and mistakes aside, I STILL think that ICE-smoking Einstein shouldn’t be anywhere near Kelly or Craig, personally. Let him look up case law at the office.
Chain, I don’t even know where you’re going with this sensitivity. I didn’t even mention sympathy or anythign like it about KR. I included her in my post about having f*cked up! - I clearly say it. What is this scorekeeping b.s you’re staging when it comes to sympathies sought or expressed? I’m not doing it and I’m not going to cover it again. I merely guessed that Family Friend is probably from the Titus family. But then again, WHO CARES? It was merely an argumentative launch point.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:49 pm
Let’s not forget that the real Vince Neal (another friggen moron) wrapped his Pantera around a telephone pole in Redondo Beach while drunk beyond belief killing his passenger. Your bleeding heart bullshit sickens me. Titus and Ryan are going down!
May 4th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
About the “ICEGEAR” comment. That’s NOT what the (clothing line) represented…AT ALL! The name came from Mr Cline! Not from Craig or Kelly. I know… I know ..Ice means Meth , and steroids, GH, etc…means GEAR…DUH! But no, the name ICEGEAR had no meaning what so ever. Gary Strydon IFBB PRO , was kicking that name around before Matt Cline! And he’s not a tweaker…ya know~
Just a heads up, to put that comment to rest!
I know it does have the same meaning, but sorry!
Phil
May 4th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Strydom*
May 6th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Strydom was kicking around the idea of ICEHAIR, I believe…
That sprayed toupe of his was still blowing in the wind after he applied a full can of hairspray and he was trying to think of ways to freeze it quiet.
May 6th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
SHOCK… “Hairclub For Men” is pissed at you! Gary’s hair is ALL NATURAL….(HE SAYS)! LOL @ ICEHAIR, But yeah, the story around the company being named after METH, AND STEROIDS ..is still WRONG! but thats pretty funny.
November 19th, 2007 at 2:39 am
Gary has an incredible legal mind. So what, he made a bad descion- He will get his license back! so get off his case!
November 19th, 2007 at 2:40 am
Give Gary a damn break!
August 16th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Yes, he has an incredible legal mind, but ” A Thought Says” he is a self-centered ego-maniac who had a son that he never cared for or cared about… so don’t EVER say he has a good heart. I know better. A man with a good heart would care about his child!!