In a situation straight out of The Night Of (and one that obviously isn't unfamiliar in our country's halls of justice), a private defense attorney and a deputy public defender have been implicated in a case involving some marijuana and meth that were trying to be smuggled into a courtroom inside some shoes for two co-defendants. The two clients, Harold Hollis and Malik Congress, had a court appearance late last month in an armed robbery and kidnapping case, and their two attorneys, private defense attorney George Lazarus and Deputy Public Defender Phoenix Streets, were given several sets of clothes as well as two pairs of shoes for their clients by a friend or family member. A Sheriff's deputy, C. Robles, said in a report obtained by the Examiner that he distinctly smelled weed emanating from the clothing and shoeboxes, and low and behold there it was, a “green leafy” substance in a plastic bag, as well as brown powder wrapped in paper, and glass-like shards of another substance later determined to be meth.

Both Streets and Lazarus were "questioned" about the substances, but "Streets was not interviewed," per the report. Lazarus says the contraband substances were dropped off hidden in the clothing by an "unknown woman" connected to the two men who contacted his office.

The matter was apparently referred to Judge Bruce Chan, and it's unclear what, if any, disciplinary action was taken against the lawyers or the suspects, and neither offered comment to the Examiner.

Closing arguments in the two men's trial were ongoing on Wednesday of this week.