On Monday, October 1,the first day of Sukkos, the worldwide Jewish community received distressing news. The United States Supreme Court formally declined to review the 27-year prison term given to Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, the former Agriprocessors vice president who was convicted of financial fraud after a huge immigration raid in 2008 at his Iowa meatpacking plant.
Without comment, the Supreme Court justices declined to consider an appeal filed by Sholom Rubashkin as they opened their new term. The decision lets stand his conviction on 86 counts of financial misconduct and a prison term that could keep the 52-year-old chasidic man locked up for the rest of his life.
Earlier this month, we shared the comments his lawyer, Nathan Lewin, one of the foremost criminal defense and appellate attorneys of our time, gave to Matzav.com:
“The Supreme Court’s refusal to consider the Rubashkin case – which is the greatest injustice that I have seen in more than 50 years of law practice – was very distressing. But the legal battle is not over. There are, in American legal history, a few famous cases “that will not die.” The Rubashkin case is in that league. The Torah teaches that tzedek does not come easily; it must be pursued. Even at this juncture, there are legal avenues for overturning a fundamentally unfair trial.”
Ami Magazine has chosen Mr. Lewin as its Man of the Year, with an interview of Mr. Lewin by Mr. Yitzchok Frankfurter in its latest edition.
Ami released the following statement:
“Though the Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal regarding the 27-year prison sentence meted out to Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, his attorney Nat Lewin told Ami Magazine that he will not give up.
“Lewin’s daughter and law partner, Alyza Lewin, told Ami, ‘My father has devoted his life to battling injustice. It is a deeply ingrained part of his personality. When he feels that someone has been wronged, he does not give up-even in the face of what may appear to be insurmountable odds. When one avenue appears blocked, he looks for and finds another approach. The Supreme Court’s denial of certiorari is deeply disappointing, but from my father’s perspective, it is not the end of the road. He has identified an additional legal avenue to challenge the unfair trial and will continue to work to rectify what he believes is the worst case of injustice he has seen in his career.’
“For this relentless pursuit of justice for Jewish people; for his unyielding advocacy for Jewish causes; for being America’s foremost defender of the civil rights of observant Jews for decades, at a time when observant Jews are the one remaining community that is openly discriminated against; and for having more confidence in us than we often had in ourselves; Washington’s star attorney Nathan Lewin, defender of the Jewish faith, is Ami’s 5772 Person of the Year.”
{Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}
See this for Mr. Lewin speaking on landmark Jewish cases in America
http://www.torahcafe.com/mr-nathan-lewin/landmark-cases-in-american-courts-judaism-and-the-first-ammendment-video_e70e58d36.html
and watch Mr. Lewin talk about his days as a Jew at Harvard
http://www.torahcafe.com/mr-nathan-lewin/being-jewish-at-harvard-in-the-50s-video_44fbcd3b8.html
I am just wondering why rabbi lipschutz was not selected as he is the single most involved person in the ruabshkin case from the beginning additionally he put his life into the cause without any payment whereas nathan lewin was paid for his work by funds raised by r lipschutz.
good for nat
Just Curious,
If Mr. Lewin did all the work pro bono, then i could certainly understand why he might be chosen as person of the year.
But if a large portion of the millions that were raised for the rubashkin case went to his law firm (him and his daughter) then i for one utterly fail to see his candidacy as person of the year.
any one with any info on this matter?
What has been done regarding the trial Judge’s misconduct via vis the Bar? Without impartial judges, alleged criminal Defendants aren’t playing on an even field.
In my opinion Ami Magazine (although they couldn’t) should really be the people of the year.
Nathan Lewin is great and kudos to Ami Magazine’s entire staff – a loyal reader
They should have chosen Marvin Schick!
What legal avenues does Mr. Lewin have in mind? Sure, there a few famous cases that “will not die” but the defendants often have satin prison for years and years. Let us pray for Sholom Rubashkin to the Bais Din Shell Meilah for justice.
Why should we care what Ami Magazine says? Did they pay Matzav for this plug? What’s really going on over here?
So Ami has followed TIME magazine in naming men of the year. What a great example for them to follow.
Nathan Lewin has done so much for Klal Yisrael
Am I the only one wondering why a frum publication sees a need to imitate goyishe magazines by having a Person of the Year to begin with?
Lewin truly has a heart of gold.
Nothing againts Nat but hes using a legal defense strategy that thuse far has not worke here. Thate being that the judge should have recused herself.
You need to find other avenues.
Ami spent weeks trying to get votes and opinions and then they were stuck….nebach on them.
Be a man stop the billing
I couldn’t agree more with the one who wonders why they wouldn’t choose the one who made the works aware of this case… Single handed by Pinchos Lioschutz himself. He was the only one to stand up for a Yid – and literally shook the world with the Rubashkin case! Rabbi Lipschutz, you truly are a tzaddik. ,
Very off-putting all of this copying Time, National Enquirer, and Newsweek.
Mazel Tov.
I would have thought a frum magazine would have someonelike rav kanyevsy or a different person who helped the klall to do tshuva like the mashgiach or ra bi wachsman or a rebbi that is teaching kinderlach Tora…..
The conviction of Sholom Rubahkin is a great miscarriage of justice.
I don’t think it is appropriate to have a man of the year.Such judgment is reserved for Hashem.