Keller @ Large: Barry Cadden Is Not A Caring Victim

BOSTON (CBS) - It is the duty of defense attorneys, says the American Bar Association, to serve as "loyal and zealous advocates" for their clients. And sometimes that means putting the best face possible on criminal activity.

But even considering that obligation, the comments by the lead attorney for Barry Cadden of the New England Compounding Center after Cadden's conviction Wednesday on racketeering, conspiracy and mail fraud charges are revolting.

After expressing his outrage that Cadden was also charged with murder in the deaths of 25 people who took the tainted medicines, attorney Bruce Singal had the audacity to say this.

"Barry is very conscious in the flurry of excitement over the verdict that we not forget the people who have suffered terribly during this ordeal, the people who have lost loves ones, and Barry's thoughts and prayers remain with them throughout."

Isn't that special?

In my opinion, it's too bad Barry wasn't more sensitive to the humanity of his customers when he, as the jury found, "devised... a scheme and artifice to defraud... customers and the patients of those customers by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises."

It's bad enough when people in positions of great responsibility like Barry Cadden are more interested in lining their own pockets than in decency and the law.

By the way, the lawyer didn't note that a majority of the jury found Cadden guilty of murder in 23 of the 25 deaths, not enough to convict on those charges.

But it's intolerable when their flacks try to claim moral high ground for them.

Intolerable, and repulsive.