Which Attorney Gave the Middle Finger?

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Courtrooms should be places of respect and dignity; however, emotions can sometimes overpower this expectation and lead to inappropriate actions such as giving the middle finger in courtroom proceedings.

Andino Reynal

On Wednesday, F. Andino Reynal of Houston gave plaintiffs’ lawyer Mark Bankston the middle finger during a heated court discussion involving an InfoWars broadcast clip which plaintiffs prepared for submission to the judge. Both lawyers had repeatedly accused each other of lying before Reynal flipped him off before flipping off Bankston himself, according to The News-Times. The pair was discussing an InfoWars video clip submitted by plaintiffs.

Reynal’s behavior was inappropriate and in violation of professional ethics. If found to have broken them during trial (scheduled to start next month), Reynal could face discipline from the state bar based on her findings at its end.

Reynal likely upset the plaintiffs’ attorneys not due to his professional judgment but out of personal animus against them. As one of 13 lawyers working on Jones’ case, Reynal’s complaints caused difficulty for Judge Wilson during her trial proceedings.

At a hearing last week, the judge issued an ultimatum to Reynal that her patience had run out and indicated he may face sanctions for his conduct in court. Reynal has been accused of numerous offenses such as delaying his trial by repeatedly raising objections and refusing to answer questions from jurors; furthermore, according to the judge he has been disrespectful towards them and not honoring the jury with his behavior.

Reynal’s behavior extends far beyond mere rude comments; any experienced attorney would find his errors excruciatingly embarrassing. Reynal accidentally sent the contents of Jones’ phone to opposing counsel without consent, revealing sensitive data about Jones that could potentially lead to both civil action from plaintiffs and possible criminal prosecution for perjury.

Reynal could have avoided Jones’ phone incident had he performed basic production QC and double-checked the file he sent before sending. Mistakes do sometimes happen in eDiscovery, and any extra diligence can help ensure successful outcomes. Luckily for Reynal, however, the Connecticut judge overseeing his case did not punish him over this blunder.

Tamara Curtis

The Florida Bar has initiated an investigation of one of the attorneys representing Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz during his trial, Assistant Public Defender Tamara Curtis is being examined for her conduct during that trial which concluded last week when Cruz was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Curtis was caught this summer rubbing her middle finger across her cheek in front of court cameras – an act widely condemned by victims’ families and judges involved. Curtis later apologized, citing not realizing cameras were rolling when making this gesture.

Curtis’ subsequent actions led the Florida Bar to investigate her. According to NBC News, investigation began after receiving a complaint filed against Curtis by one of her colleagues from Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers who claimed she was acting inappropriately.

Curtis was appointed assistant public defender in Broward County to represent Nikolas Cruz during his trial for murdering 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2022. An investigation began following an infamous video clip taken with a cell phone during a two-day sentencing hearing; it shows her pointing directly at the camera while also rubbing her middle finger along her cheek – something which caused Cruz to laugh out loud in response.

Curtis quickly gained viral status and has been seen by millions of viewers online, prompting an investigation by Florida Bar regarding any violations to ethical rules and potential disbarment proceedings. She has come under scrutiny from parents of victims as they argue she has lost any sense of humanity; Fred Guttenberg, father of 14-year-old victim Jamie Guttenberg called Curtis’ actions disgusting, immature, and reprehensible.”

The Florida Bar does not make comments regarding any investigations that are currently under way; however, according to an NBC spokesperson it typically initiates an inquiry when there is written complaints against an attorney’s conduct and 25% of these investigations result in opening of disciplinary files.

James Heos

Michigan Court of Appeals fined an attorney $3,000 and referred him for possible further discipline after they gave the middle finger during an oral arguments hearing held via Zoom due to coronavirus precautions. Veteran East Lansing attorney James Heos made this gesture during oral arguments remotely using Zoom; He thought only his computer screen could see what he was pointing at and did not realize judges could see it. He claimed on Friday he did not realize judges could see what he was doing.

Heos is a partner at Church Wyble, P.C. and specializes in plaintiff personal injury law. He has earned many professional accolades and awards since 2009, such as being named as one of the Best Lawyers in America and Michigan Super Lawyer each year.

In a three-judge panel’s written order, Heos failed to convince them that he was simply pointing at his computer. Instead, Heos showed “shameful disregard for both court and counsel through offensive gestures and dishonest responses to court inquiries,” as per their view.

Judges also stated that Heos’ actions demonstrated his disregard for their time or his colleagues’ efforts during the case, violating both professional ethics regulations and record. It was an embarrassing moment for Heos, who apologized profusely both to clients and courts alike.

Heos’ clients have already received notification that they will be included in this lawsuit and can choose whether or not to join. Heos is representing them jointly with Kickham Hanley from Royal Oak and Abood from East Lansing; these suits allege that BWL is overcharging customers while simultaneously pocketing millions in franchise fees each year.

Courtrooms should be places of justice, yet they can become toxic spaces when lawyers become emotional and act inappropriately. Showing disrespect through gestures such as flashing the middle finger is unacceptable; attorneys must always remember to show appropriate regard towards both their peers and courts.

Alex Jones

Infowars’ creator has earned himself a reputation for distorting news events by taking kernels of truth and twisting them into fantastic tales with him at their center, persecuted by an oppressive system. A recent court case in Connecticut and lawsuit filed by parents of victims from Sandy Hook school shooting has demonstrated his ability to turn truth into fiction.

Court proceedings were filed against Jones due to his allegations that the 2012 massacre in Sandy Hook was staged by government forces to limit gun rights. As a result, 26 victims’ families sued in Connecticut and Texas courts and won almost $1.5bn against him; yet that hasn’t stopped Jones from propagating conspiracy theories on his show and website.

After the 2012 massacre, he claimed that parents of dead children were “crisis actors,” and the mass shooting itself was staged to delegitimize Second Amendment rights. Additionally, he has made claims that federal agencies are engaged in cover-ups related to tragedies like mass shootings which serve to increase their authority and power.

Jones’ claims have resulted in widespread harassment against survivors and family members of 9/11 attacks, such as doxing and stalking. In one episode of his show, he claimed the FBI planted explosives at the Boston Marathon to justify increased surveillance powers by killing three people who survived it.

At one point during the trial, one of Jones’ attorneys, Andino Reynal, gave the plaintiff’s counsel the middle finger in court, in what became an extremely contentious moment that illustrated Reynal’s dislike for their client and attitude toward them.

Reynal’s attitude didn’t come as a shock to victims and their families who have filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Jones and his Infowars staff. Former employees have reported all kinds of misconduct within Infowars from racial discrimination to sexual harassment.