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Djovanni Di StefanoItalian businessman and lawyer
Country:
 Italy |
Content:
- Giovanni Di Stefano: The Devil's Lawyer
- A Defender of Infamous Figures
- A Romanticized Approach
- The Manson Case
Giovanni Di Stefano: The Devil's Lawyer
Italian businessman and lawyer Giovanni Di Stefano has announced his intention to seek a review of the case of American criminal Charles Manson, who was convicted in 1971 for orchestrating a series of ritualistic killings. Di Stefano's extravagant penchant for representing villains and murderers in court has earned him the nickname "the devil's lawyer". Throughout his long and eventful legal career, the 55-year-old Di Stefano has collaborated with some of the most notorious criminals of his time.
A Defender of Infamous Figures
Among his most famous clients were leaders of infamous political regimes, from Saddam Hussein to Slobodan Milosevic. Di Stefano has also advised Tariq Aziz and Ali Hassan al-Majid (cousin of Hussein, better known as Chemical Ali). Currently, the Italian represents the interests of ETA and Hamas, among others. Many of his famous clients referred to Di Stefano as their friend. He even had a professional and business relationship with Serbian paramilitary leader Zeljko Raznatovic, accused of committing war crimes, and they jointly invested in Serbian football. However, Di Stefano also had clients of lesser stature, assisting murderers caught up in sex scandals involving pop stars and entrepreneurs engaged in illegal activities.
A Romanticized Approach
One could accuse Di Stefano of being indiscriminate in his choice of clients, but it is clear that he is, in fact, exceptionally discerning. Gradually, he earned a reputation as a specialist in defending the interests of notorious scoundrels. However, the lawyer himself rejects accusations of cynicism. "It is not lawyers who choose their clients, but clients who choose their lawyers," he likes to say. According to Di Stefano, all of his clients sought his help. "I won't deny that some of my clients are unattractive individuals, but we don't defend Snow Whites. Those who do not commit crimes or engage in dubious activities do not need to seek my assistance."
Moreover, Di Stefano does not shy away from romanticizing his own work and his clients. He often portrays himself as a person who takes on hopeless cases, defending criminals who have already been condemned by society. For example, he spoke about Hussein as follows: "He knew he would die, but he died with dignity, setting an example by sacrificing his life for his country." On his website, the lawyer also tries to showcase the sensitive side of his own soul. There is not much information about his main line of work on the page - it is dedicated to a musical album that Di Stefano recorded and released in 2009. The album, titled "The Next Time," features his own compositions as well as cover versions of famous songs.
However, it is worth noting that most of Di Stefano's famous clients did not benefit greatly from his assistance. Saddam Hussein, Chemical Ali, and Tariq Aziz were sentenced to death. Slobodan Milosevic died in prison, and Zeljko Raznatovic was killed before his trial even began. Nevertheless, there were cases where the Italian's intervention greatly helped his clients. One of his most recent successes was the case of American financier Kenneth Starr, the creator of a financial pyramid whose clients were primarily Hollywood stars. "Thanks to me, he will receive not 442 years in prison, but from six to eight," proudly stated Di Stefano in an interview with the British version of Vice magazine. The latest client of the "devil's lawyer" is 76-year-old American Charles Manson, serving a life sentence in a California prison for organizing a series of ritualistic killings. Manson, the founder of the "Family" commune, who extracted messages about racial war and apocalypse from The Beatles' songs, is one of the most notorious criminals of the 20th century and a fitting addition to Di Stefano's unique collection of villains.
The Manson Case
In 1969, Charles Manson's followers murdered seven people in Los Angeles. Among the victims of the "Family" members was the pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski, Sharon Tate. Although Manson himself did not personally participate in the extremely cruel and bloody murders, the court concluded that the crimes were committed under his direct orders. In 1971, Manson, along with six other members of the commune, was sentenced to death. However, in 1972, the death penalty was abolished in California, and Manson's sentence was commuted to life in prison. It is not entirely clear whether Manson himself or someone representing his interests first contacted the Italian lawyer, but Di Stefano claims that nine months ago, a lawyer from Sacramento approached him with a request to review Charles Manson's case. This same person gave the Italian a phone number through which he could contact the criminal. Interestingly, it was recently revealed that prison guards seized Manson's mobile phone twice in the last few months, although it remains unclear how he came into possession of it.
After reviewing the case materials, Giovanni Di Stefano concluded that numerous violations occurred during the trial of the "Family" leader. According to the lawyer, there is no direct evidence of Manson's guilt in the murders. Di Stefano believes that Manson ordered his followers to commit "sinister acts" rather than kill. Furthermore, the lawyer claims that Manson was deprived of his right to defend himself during the trial, as he intended to represent himself but was assigned a state-appointed attorney instead.
Based on these grounds, it seems that Giovanni Di Stefano intends to free Charles Manson from prison. On February 8, he announced on CNN that he had submitted a complaint on behalf of Manson to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, an organ of the Organization of American States. He chose this avenue as filing a petition in federal courts would be too cumbersome. "It is a very effective institution," Di Stefano assures, "but few American lawyers are aware of it."
Di Stefano admits that he considers the crimes committed by Manson's followers to be "horrifying," but he claims to have taken on the case in the name of upholding the law. "In such cases, America rarely adheres to its own laws, let alone international ones," the Italian lawyer stated in an interview with Vice. "Mr. Manson's guilt has not been proven, and he should be released. If I can help him, I am ready to do so."
