From: ' To: "jeevacatio gniail.com" <jeevacationggmail.com> Subject: Date: Sat, 08 May 2010 04:03:49 +0000 Attorney: Halt Palm Beach County case for Rothstein partner; federal charges looming By Peter Franceschina Sun-Sentinel Staff Writer Posted: 9:48 p.m. Friday, May 7, 2010 • E-mail • Print • Share • Small Type One of the lawyers who goes way back with Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein is a target of a federal investigation and expects to be indicted, the former partner's attorney told a judge during a Friday court hearing. Howard Kusnick, who first practiced years ago with Rothstein in their small firm in Plantation and later joined the Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm in downtown Fort Lauderdale, is a target of the federal investigation that brought down Rothstein, said Kusnick's civil attorney, Rachel Kelman. The revelation came during a bid to put a malpractice suit against Kusnick on hold. Kusnick and other members of Rothstein's firm are being sued by auto magnate Ed Morse. One of the criminal allegations that Rothstein admitted to in January was defrauding Ed and Carol Morse of $57 million, using fictional court orders involving a Palm Beach County case the couple had filed against a kitchen designer. Attorney Bill Scherer, who represents a group of investors, told the judge that based on bankruptcy records, Rothstein stole about $168 million during the five-year Ponzi scheme. The Morses' suit alleges five of Rothstein's former law partners mishandled four separate civil cases on their behalf. Kusnick's attorney, Kelman, asked Broward Circuit Judge Jeffrey Streitfeld to put the case on hold because Kusnick wanted to be able to defend against the suit but couldn't do so without compromising his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. If Kusnick refuses to be deposed in the case, the Morses could potentially obtain a default judgment against him. As part of her argument, Kelman told the judge that she learned Thursday