Brian Laundrie is dead and his parent’s lawyer, Bertolino, is making the media rounds. The interview with Ashley Banfield was amazing — she ate his lunch! Watch the full interview. This lawyer needs a lawyer to tell him not to speak without consulting HIS attorney.
Starting off, Banfield was asking questions that didn’t really seem that important. Dude thought he was in control… over and over stating he couldn’t violate the attorney client privilege. At about 8 minutes into the interview in response to a question, Bertolino said all 3 members of the family were present during two virtual conversations prior to Brian’s going into hiding.
Next is a huge debate regarding when LE was informed Brian was “missing” (not coming home after his 9/13 walk in the Carlton Reserve). Bertolino said he told the FBI on that same evening or the next morning. (Note: North Port PD was in charge at that time — the FBI didn’t officially take over the search until the 27th of September.) Bertolino started losing his grip when Brian Entin was pulled into the segment in an attempt to get clarity — he was all sour grapes by that point.
Bertolino was so busy demanding an apology from Banfield over their debate that he probably pooped his pants when near the end of the interview, Banfield blindsided him by revealing…
Attorney-client privilege does NOT protect conversations when a third party is present.
While Chris and Roberta Laundrie (spouses) can be a client — and Brian can be a client — when they are all together the attorney privilege doesn’t apply. While it does in civil litigation (like in real estate and bankruptcy… Bertolino’s primary areas of practice), it doesn’t apply in criminal litigation.
Let this be a lesson to us all. Not hiring a criminal defense lawyer for a criminal investigation/case and choosing a friend to represent you is like a doctor doing his own colonoscopy.
Fact: On this day, 20-years ago, the iPod was introduced to the world by Steve Jobs.