More On Corrupt "Show/Give-Me-The-Money" Judge Scarpino

Rod Covlin hires high-powered lawyer to defend against claims he killed wife Shele Attorney says Covlin's tired of 'being a punching bag'
The New York Daily News by Helen Kennedy  -  January 4, 2012

Last week, a judge blocked his access to the money after learning he was a suspect in Shele’s death.  Rod Covlin says he’s sick of being tagged the killer of his beautiful blond banker wife.  The Daily News has learned that after two years of silence, Covlin hired high-profile criminal lawyer Robert Gottlieb on Wednesday to defend him against suspicions in the mysterious death of his estranged wife, Shele Danishefsky Covlin.  “He’s through with being a punching bag for others who clearly do not have the best interest of the children at heart,” Gottlieb told The News.  Covlin had “chosen not to respond to scurrilous comments in order to shield his children — but enough is enough,” Gottlieb said.  He batted back accusations that Covlin had not cooperated with cops after his 49-year-old wife — who had an order of protection against him — was found dead in her upper West Side bathtub on New Year’s Eve 2009.  Covlin “cooperated fully with detectives from the beginning. He spoke with them at length on the day his wife’s body was found,” Gottlieb said.  The death was initially ruled a slip-and-fall accident and Shele Covlin was buried without an autopsy. But she was exhumed three months later and officials found signs she had been strangled, reclassifying her death a homicide.  Asked if police had interviewed Covlin since his wife’s death was ruled murder, Gottlieb said, “I can’t say if he’s had additional conversations after that.”  Law enforcement sources have told The News that authorities still hope to indict Covlin for murder in the next few months.  Gottlieb said he’s confident that won’t happen “because he did not commit any crime.”  Gottlieb is an ally of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance and served on his transition team in 2009.  “I will be in touch with the DA’s office to see what, if anything, they want,” he said.  Covlin hired his high-powered lawyer on the same day that he was in a Westchester civil court refusing to surrender his claim to a $1.6 million Aetna life insurance payout on his slain wife.  A Westchester judge continued to block Covlin’s access to the money and rejected his offer to step aside in exchange for having his parents put in charge of the fortune.  “Nobody gives me conditions,” Westchester County Surrogate Court Judge Anthony Scarpino said.  Scarpino was gulled into granting Covlin control of the money last June when Covlin said he was the best person to control the money on behalf of his two young kids, Anna, 11, and Myles, 5.  Covlin’s paperwork failed to mention there was a custody battle over his kids or a war over his wife’s estate, which includes nearly $4 million in three life insurance payouts.  The judge put a temporary hold on Covlin’s control of the Aetna policy last week after learning of the financial battles and that Covlin is the main suspect in his wife’s murder.  On Wednesday, he extended that hold until a March 6 hearing and also ordered Covlin to provide a full accounting of where the money is and how much, if any, has been spent.  Covlin and his parents were in the courtroom.  Both sets of grandparents are seeking to administer the estate on behalf of the kids.  Covlin appeared briefly agitated when a lawyer for his wife’s family said a federal judge proposed consolidating the payouts from all three of Shele Covlin’s policies under one impartial administrator.  “No!” he exclaimed, and began urgently signaling his civil lawyer, Gina Alberta.  She told the judge the issue was not settled, and he said he would look into it.  hkennedy@nydailynews.com