[three_fourth]
inewsource has interviewed many experts for our ongoing investigation into Cory Briggs, including professors, authors, politicians, attorneys, developers, ethicists and law enforcement:
Jonathan Arons
Arons advises lawyers on ethics issues, defense of disciplinary charges, and problems concerning admission or reinstatement to the State Bar of California.
He also advises law firms and attorneys who want to improve their office systems for protecting against rules violations, or who need advice about a particular ethical or professional conduct problem. Additionally, he serves parties nationwide as an expert witness in lawsuits involving questions of legal ethics, professional misconduct, or attorney malpractice.
Arons has concentrated on professional responsibility issues and attorney misconduct defense since admitted to practice in California in 1983.
—http://www.aronslaw.com/
[divider]
William K. Black
Professor Black was litigation director of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, deputy director of the FSLIC, SVP and general counsel of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, and senior deputy chief counsel, Office of Thrift Supervision. He was deputy director of the National Commission on Financial Institution Reform, Recovery and Enforcement.
Professor Black recently helped the World Bank develop anti-corruption initiatives and served as an expert for OFHEO in its enforcement action against Fannie Mae’s former senior management.
He teaches white-collar crime, public finance, antitrust, law and economics, and Latin American development.
—http://law.umkc.edu/directory/faculty-directory/name/william-black/
[divider]
John Campbell
Campbell is also a recognized trial attorney. Prior to becoming a full-time professor, in his four years managing a consumer and class action department, the department settled dozens of class actions and individual cases which resulted in tens of millions of dollars in relief to millions of individuals.
Professor Campbell earned numerous awards for practicing law successfully and professionally. He received the John C. Shepherd Professionalism Award, given to one attorney in St. Louis each year for their exemplary behavior and reputation outside the courtroom. He was also the recipient of Missouri Lawyers Media’s Up & Coming Lawyer in 2009 and has been recognized as a Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers Rising Star every year since 2009. Professor Campbell was voted one of the “Most Influential Appellate Attorneys” in Missouri in 2011.
—http://www.law.du.edu/index.php/profile/john-campbell
[divider]
Linda Fisher
Linda Fisher is a Professor of Law and the James Boskey Research Scholar at Seton Hall Law School. Her recent research, publications, and litigation address predatory lending, the subprime lending crisis and its consequences for communities.
She is currently a Network Fellow at the Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard and has been a Bellow Scholar of the Association of American Law Schools. Prof. Fisher teaches Land Finance, Professional Responsibility and the Civil Litigation Clinic.
She has testified before the House Financial Services Committee and the Federal Trade Commission. She received an LL.M. from Northwestern, a J.D. from the University of Chicago and a B.A. from Macalester College.
—http://law.shu.edu/Faculty/fulltime_faculty/Linda-Fisher.cfm
[divider]
Richard Hagar
—http://richardhagar.com/
[divider]
Ed McIntyre
–Resume here
[divider]
Vance Welch
Deputy District Attorney Vance Welch has been with the San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office for 14 years, with the last eight years in the Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Unit.
[/three_fourth]
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| All Staff Percentages are based on 15 total survey responses. The numbers include full-time and part-time staff, full-time fellows and full-time and part-time interns. | Newsroom Percentages are based on 15 completed survey responses to this question. | Business Percentages are based on 15 completed survey responses to this question. | |||
| Gender Identity | Gender Identity | Gender Identity | |||
| Women | 80% | Women | 82% | Women | 75% |
| Men | 20% | Men | 18% | Men | 25% |
| Sexual Orientation | Sexual Orientation | Sexual Orientation | |||
| Straight | 87% | Straight | 82% | Straight | 100% |
| LGBTQ-identifying | 7% | LGBTQ-identifying | 7% | ||
| Not specified | 7% | Not specified | 7% | ||
| Speak a language beyond English at home | 33% | Speak a language beyond English at home | 18% | Speak a language beyond English at home | 75% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Race/Ethnicity | Race/Ethnicity | |||
| White | 67% | White | 73% | White | 50% |
| Hispanic or Latinx | 20% | Two or more races | 18% | Hispanic or Latinx | 50% |
| Two or more races | 13% | Hispanic or Latinx | 9% | ||
| Age | Age | Age | |||
| 20-29 | 40% | 20-29 | 45% | 20-29 | 25% |
| 30-39 | 47% | 30-39 | 45% | 30-39 | 50% |
| 60 or older | 13% | 60 or older | 9% | 60 or older | 25% |
* The percentages in the charts have been rounded and may not add up to 100.
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Hearn became Metro Editor in 1999 and oversaw regional and city news coverage, which included the city of San Diego’s financial debacle and near bankruptcy. Reporters and editors on Metro during her tenure were part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning stories that exposed Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham and led to his imprisonment.
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Article Post Types
post
Brad Racino….what was it that started you down the path of this investigation? There was a similar –well similar in the sense that Cory Briggs was the subject of the “expose” done a year or so ago by the Voice of San Diego. However, VOSD focused on Briggs method of suing small cities over perceived environmental regulation violations. Many settled rather than go to court. Your series is entirely different. What sparked inewsource interest? Were you surprised at the vigor with which he has been defended in the comments of your articles. Many attacking your journalistic credibility.
Linda,
Thank you for writing. Our investigation began last year, sparked by my colleague’s interest in Mr. Briggs and some of his questionable actions. We decided to spend a bit of time poking around, as we tend to do as investigative journalists. We quickly found red flags and decided to investigate further. That led to all of this.
To answer your second question, no I am not surprised at the reactions. We expected it. No matter the subject of the investigation, there are always people who are angry about our work for whatever reason. By this point, I’ve learned not to take it personally. It’s just part of the job.
Thanks so much. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at bradracino at gmail dot com.
Thanks!
-Brad