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3688359.1

DEFENDANTS’ RESPONSE TO THE UNITED STATES’ 

NOTICE RE: DECEMBER 4, 2020 TELEPHONIC HEARING

Thomas H. Bienert, Jr. (admitted pro hac vice) tbienert@bienertkatzman.com

Whitney Z. Bernstein (admitted pro hac vice) wbernstein@bienertkatzman.com

BIENERT KATZMAN, PC

903 Calle Amanecer, Suite 350

San Clemente, CA 92673

Telephone: (949) 369-3700

Facsimile: (949) 369-3701

Attorneys for Defendant James Larkin

Gary S. Lincenberg (admitted pro hac vice) glincenberg@birdmarella.com

Ariel A. Neuman (admitted pro hac vice) aneuman@birdmarella.com

Gopi K. Panchapakesan (admitted pro hac vice) gpanchapakesan@birdmarella.com

BIRD, MARELLA, BOXER, WOLPERT, NESSIM,

DROOKS, LINCENBERG & RHOW, P.C.

1875 Century Park East, 23rd Floor

Los Angeles, California 90067-2561

Telephone: (310) 201-2100

Facsimile: (310) 201-2110

Attorneys for Defendant John Brunst

[Additional counsel listed on next page]

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

United States of America,

Plaintiff,

vs.

Michael Lacey, et al.,

Defendants.

CASE NO. 2:18-cr-00422-004-PHX-SMB

DEFENDANTS’ RESPONSE TO THE 

UNITED STATES’ NOTICE RE:

DECEMBER 4, 2020 TELEPHONIC 

HEARING

[Filed concurrently with Declaration of 

Toni Thomas]

Assigned to Hon. Susan M. Brnovich

Courtroom 506

Trial Date: April 12, 2021

Case 2:18-cr-00422-DJH Document 1105 Filed 12/11/20 Page 1 of 5
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3688359.1 2

DEFENDANTS’ RESPONSE TO THE UNITED STATES’ 

NOTICE RE: DECEMBER 4, 2020 TELEPHONIC HEARING

Paul J. Cambria, Jr. (admitted pro hac vice) pcambria@lglaw.com

Erin McCampbell (admitted pro hac vice) emccampbell@lglaw.com

LIPSITZ GREEN SCIME CAMBRIA LLP

42 Delaware Avenue, Suite 120

Buffalo, New York 14202

Telephone: (716) 849-1333

Facsimile: (716) 855-1580

Attorneys for Defendant Michael Lacey

Bruce Feder (AZ Bar No. 004832)

 bf@federlawpa.com

FEDER LAW OFFICE, P.A.

2930 E. Camelback Road, Suite 160

Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Telephone: (602) 257-0135 

Attorney for Defendant Scott Spear

David Eisenberg (AZ Bar No. 017218)

 david@deisenbergplc.com

DAVID EISENBERG PLC

3550 N. Central Ave., Suite 1155

Phoenix, Arizona 85012

Telephone: (602) 237-5076

Facsimile: (602) 314-6273

Attorney for Defendant Andrew Padilla

Joy Malby Bertrand (AZ Bar No. 024181)

 joy.bertrand@gmail.com

JOY BERTRAND ESQ LLC

P.O. Box 2734

Scottsdale, Arizona 85252

Telephone: (602)374-5321

Facsimile: (480)361-4694

Attorney for Defendant Joye Vaught

Case 2:18-cr-00422-DJH Document 1105 Filed 12/11/20 Page 2 of 5
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3688359.1 3

DEFENDANTS’ RESPONSE TO THE UNITED STATES’ 

NOTICE RE: DECEMBER 4, 2020 TELEPHONIC HEARING

Defendants submit this response to correct an incorrect statement in the 

government’s recent Notice Re: December 4, 2020 Telephonic Motion Hearing on 

Defendants’ Motion to Stay (Doc. 1100). 

Contrary to the government’s claim, AG Brnovich’s August 16, 2017 letter to 

Congress was NOT part of a “series” of Attorneys’ General letters of which counsel were 

aware based on discovery. The referenced “series” of letters was sent in late 2009 to early 

2012, long before AG Brnovich took office in January 2015 and more than five years

before the August 16, 2017 letter. The letters produced in discovery included the 

following “series”:

October 2, 2009 NAAG Letter to S. Fifer1

November 16, 2009 S. Fifer Letter to NAAG

May 3, 2010 S. Fifer Letter to NAAG

September 2, 2010 S. Fifer Letter to NAAG

September 21, 2010 NAAG Letter to S. Fifer

January 27, 2011 S. Fifer Letter to NAAG

August 31, 2011 NAAG Letter to Backpage

September 16, 2011 NAAG Letters to Backpage

September 23, 2011 S. Fifer Letter to NAAG

November 2, 2011 S. Fifer Letter to P. Selis2

December 30, 2011 S. Fifer Letter to P. Selis

March 23, 2012 E. McDougall Letter to NAAG

The government also produced a copy of a July 23, 2013 letter from NAAG to four 

members of Congress related to the Communications Decency Act of 1996. That letter 

 1 Samuel Fifer was a lawyer who represented a parent of Backpage.com. 

2 Paula Selis was with the Office of the Washington Attorney General and was part of 

the NAAG working group.

Case 2:18-cr-00422-DJH Document 1105 Filed 12/11/20 Page 3 of 5
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3688359.1 4

DEFENDANTS’ RESPONSE TO THE UNITED STATES’ 

NOTICE RE: DECEMBER 4, 2020 TELEPHONIC HEARING

also was sent long before AG Brnovich took office and more than four years before the 

August 16, 2017, letter. 

The government claims these letters put the defense “on notice” of AG Brnovich’s 

August 16, 2017 letter, but never explains how a series of letters sent long before AG 

Brnovich took office (and, therefore, not signed by AG Brnovich) would put the defense 

on notice of a letter AG Brnovich sent nearly eight years after the first letter and more than 

four years after the last letter. Moreover, the fact that the government produced all the 

earlier letters in its disclosure, but did not produce the August 16, 2017 letter, undermines 

the government’s baseless claim that the defense “should have known” about AG 

Brnovich’s letter.

Finally, the Court should disregard the final paragraph of the government’s filing, in 

which the government re-argues points raised in its response to the recusal motion—unless 

the Court provides the defense with an opportunity to rebut that argument. 

Pursuant to the District’s Electronic Case Filing Administrative Policies and

Procedures Manual (January 2020) § II (C) (3), Gary S. Lincenberg hereby attests that all

other signatories listed, and on whose behalf this filing is submitted, concur in the filing’s

content and have authorized its filing.

DATED: December 11, 2020 Respectfully submitted,

Thomas H. Bienert Jr.

Whitney Z. Bernstein

Bienert | Katzman PC

By: /s/ Thomas H. Bienert, Jr.

Thomas H. Bienert Jr.

Attorneys for Defendant James Larkin

Case 2:18-cr-00422-DJH Document 1105 Filed 12/11/20 Page 4 of 5
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3688359.1 5

DEFENDANTS’ RESPONSE TO THE UNITED STATES’ 

NOTICE RE: DECEMBER 4, 2020 TELEPHONIC HEARING

DATED: December 11, 2020 Gary S. Lincenberg

Ariel A. Neuman

Gopi K. Panchapakesan

Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim,

Drooks, Lincenberg & Rhow, P.C.

By: /s/ Gary S. Lincenberg

Gary S. Lincenberg

Attorneys for Defendant John Brunst

DATED: December 11, 2020 Paul J. Cambria

Erin McCampbell

Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria LLP

By: /s/ Paul J. Cambria

Paul J. Cambria

Attorneys for Defendant Michael Lacey

DATED: December 11, 2020 Feder Law Office, P.A.

By: /s/ Bruce S. Feder

Bruce S. Feder

Attorney for Defendant Scott Spear

DATED: December 11, 2020 The Law Office of David Eisenberg, PLC

By: /s/ David Eisenberg

David Eisenberg

Attorney for Defendant Andrew Padilla

DATED: December 11, 2020 Joy Bertrand Esq. LLC

By: /s/ Joy Malby Bertrand

Joy Malby Bertrand 

Attorney for Defendant Joye Vaught

Case 2:18-cr-00422-DJH Document 1105 Filed 12/11/20 Page 5 of 5