Did Anna Judge Exchange Favors for ... Purses?
Judge Larry Seidlin allegedly had an attorney purchase a $1,000 purse for his wife -- in exchange for a regular gig in his court, as reported by the Broward-Palm Beach New Times today.
According to the paper, Seidlin regularly appointed Lawrence "Chris" Roberts as a Special Public Defender in the Juvenile Court -- a job that paid $350 a case. Roberts tells the New Times that on one occasion, he passed Seidlin in the hall and the judge slipped him a tag for a Louis Vuitton purse. Roberts says the judge then suggested his wife would love the purse for a birthday gift.
"The implication was that if I didn't do this, the appointments would dry up," Roberts said.
Roberts told the New Times he had his assistant buy the purse and eventually met Seidlin in a parking lot to deliver it. Roberts alleges this wasn't the only time this happened.
Seidlin's wife, Belinda, refuted the allegations to the New Times, saying, "There is no way Larry would do anything like that. He is so careful, and he's not stupid. He would never do anything that's not appropriate or not right."
