After just under 18 months of waiting, hoping, and fighting the biggest legal battle of his life, local attorney Hatim “Tim” Attalla received the most welcome verdict of his 22-year career when he was acquitted of a drug conspiracy charge in federal court in Detroit on the afternoon of Monday, November 15.
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His case was handled by Thomas Cramner and Gerald Gleeson of Miller Canfield, who formed a team of four to defend him along with outside counsels David O’Brien and Steven Fischman.
The result was vindication for Attalla, who had been accused of helping the notorious Highwaymen gang of Michigan conduct an illegal drug business.
U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Edmunds concluded that there was insufficient evidence that Attalla had acted in any drug conspiracy or that he provided general counsel to the group.
Now, after having his name cleared, Attalla is looking forward to getting back to work after spending almost 18 months on paid administrative leave.
“I’m just happy it’s over with and I’m ready to get back to work and eager to make up for lost time. I’m still digesting it after what’s been a tough year and a half,” Attalla said.
Attalla was especially moved by the support he received from the local community during his fight.
“The community support has been phenomenal and I want to thank everyone,” Attalla said. “My phone blew up a half hour (with lots of calls and messages) after the verdict came out; I couldn’t believe how quickly the news got out.”
Following the original news of Attalla’s indictment, various fundraisers were held for his legal battle including two by La Pita Restaurant in Dearborn. Attalla also appreciated the decision by Miller Canfield to retain him despite what many called negative press surrounding the indictment.
“Most people will say you really know who your friends are when you fall into a dilemma like I did,” Attalla said. “I say wholeheartedly with full humility that I am so grateful that so many people came out and supported me, whether through phone calls, visits to my house, the fundraisers, or even text messages; it was unbelievable.
“I think my friends that knew me knew I was not capable of what I was charged with. I’ve had a lot of people tell me that they think this outcome restored their faith in the system.”
Cramner said that the charges against Attalla, who is mainly a business lawyer as well as a philanthropist who also specializes in international trade in places such as Palestine and Qatar among others, were strongly lacking in the evidence department. They were originally alleged to have occurred before he joined Miller Canfield in 2006.
“We prepared the case closely and spent a lot of time looking at the government’s evidence,” Cramner said.
“In the end, it just didn’t prove what the government claimed it did and our spending time carefully analyzing the evidence was the key.”
During closing arguments, Cramner essentially said the accusers had proved nothing.
According to Attalla, the only evidence presented linking him to the gang was that he provided one Viagra pill to a member of the gang from a trial pack he had lying around, and that he had advised one member of the gang to remain silent until a lawyer was present.
Attalla said he represented one of the members in a speeding ticket case, and another in a case involving domestic violence, as revealed during the cross-examination portions of the case.
The initial charges in May 2009 came as a huge surprise to Attalla, who has previously served as a Michigan Civil Rights Commissioner under former governor John Engler and on the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services’ board of trustees.
News had broken that morning in the major local papers about his appointment to Detroit Mayor Dave Bing’s crisis management legal transition team of 11 lawyers.
Attalla, who had always hoped to help the ailing city of Detroit, was “on top of the world” as he put it until he received a phone call from a local reporter.
It was Ben Schmitt of the Detroit Free Press, who called and asked if he wanted to comment on the charges announced against him in a press conference that day.
“I was never even arrested or received a target letter or courtesy call from the U.S Attorney’s Office, so I said I didn’t know anything about any charges, the only thing I knew about was the Bing appointment,” he said.
“I said, ‘Is this for real? I don’t understand you.’ I thought maybe someone was playing a joke on me because I’m known as a practical joker.”
Attalla was on his way to Wayne State University for an awards ceremony involving his friend Ron Amen, who works for the city of Dearborn Heights, when he decided the best course of action was to turn his car around and head to Troy that afternoon to visit Cramner in order to weigh his options. The next day, he had no choice but to go on administrative leave.
But it all worked out in the end for Attalla in a case Cramner said was a shining example that there’s still plenty of hope in the American legal system for those with the right plan who are willing to fight.
“I think it’s a testament to the American criminal justice system,” he said.
Many local friends have told Attalla that his victory has given them the belief that justice can prevail over potential ethnic and/or religious biases against Arab Americans and/or American Muslims.
Cramner said he understands the initial feeling hopelessness many have but said it often gets better.
“It always feels that way I think when you’re a defendant and you’re fighting against the strength and power of the United States but the justice system really does work and I think Tim’s case is a wonderful example.”
Now that Attalla is officially back with the firm, he’s ready to embrace his chosen profession once again while hoping to make those who supported him proud.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people there who stood by me and believed in me and I’m going to be a better, stronger, more battle-hardened lawyer now as a result of this.”
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