BOOM, ROASTED

Lawyer: Avenatti Deserves Light Sentence Because He Gets Mocked Everywhere He Goes

Reps for the former high-profile attorney have argued that their client’s mere existence is punishment enough.

Lawyers for Michael Avenatti—the onetime high-profile attorney who was convicted of trying to extort $25 million from Nike—have argued that their client should get a lenient sentence because he’s been ridiculed so hard since his spectacular fall from grace. Avenatti, 50, became one of America’s most well-known attorneys when he was representing adult-film star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against Donald Trump. But, after his conviction in February last year, he faces decades in prison. According to the Associated Press, his lawyers argued in court papers that his mere existence is punishment enough, and said his prison time should be limited to six months. “Avenatti’s cataclysmic fall has been well-documented,” the lawyers wrote. “He is openly mocked by the former President of the United States and his preferred media outlets, to the glee of millions of the former President’s followers and supporters... He cannot go anywhere in public without inducing and subjecting himself to vitriolic comments and abuse.” A sentencing recommendation will be made later this month.