Opinion ID: 535294
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Request for a Hearing

Text: 25 Goot argues that the district court erred in not granting him a hearing on the disqualification issue. An evidentiary hearing on recusal is useful but not always required. See United States v. O'Malley, 786 F.2d at 793 (upholding the disqualification of criminal defendant's counsel who had previously represented a key government witness). Goot does not make a substantial showing that any actual disclosure took place or that he was prejudiced in any way. Furthermore, the record shows that the issue was well-briefed by both sides. Nevertheless, Goot claims that a hearing was required because procedural irregularities occurred in that the prosecutor's office of the Northern District first recused itself, but later reversed that decision and resumed the prosecutor's role. 26 The record shows that the government sought to disqualify Richmond's former firm from its representation of Barry Sherman, a key witness in this case and Goot's former law partner. For this purpose only, the Justice Department appointed Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, David Ryan. In pursuing the disqualification of Sherman's counsel, Ryan had to question the propriety of the same firm's representation of Goot. By using Ryan for this purpose, the Northern District was not required to question the propriety of its own chief's prior acts when he represented Goot. We, therefore, agree with the district court that the Northern District's recusal in moving to disqualify Sherman's counsel was irrelevant to the question whether the Northern District should have recused itself with respect to the Goot prosecution. 10