U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer sentenced Pius Ailemen to 292 months in prison Tuesday for his role as head of an international heroin ring. Then Breyer referred Ailemen’s two defense lawyers to a disciplinary committee for possible sanctions because of their actions during Ailemen’s trial.
A jury convicted Ailemen in April after a contentious seven-week trial that had defense attorneys Harold Rosenthal and Robert Bloom constantly bickering with each other and Breyer over trial tactics and strategy. During Rosenthal’s opening statement, for instance, Bloom made an objection.
