Mike Rasmussen

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Michael Rasmussen (born c. 1947 in Hawaii) is a former federal prosecutor, currently working as a defense attorney.

Rasmussen was the son of an Air Force officer and moved around often as a child. He graduated from high school in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and earned his undergraduate degree at the University of South Florida before completing law school at the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. He joined the U. S. Navy in 1969 and, as ship's legal officer, advised the captain of his destroyer on matters pertaining to court martial proceedings. He was discharged in 1972 and became a federal prosecutor in the office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama.

As lead prosecutor for the U. S. Attorney's office, Rasmussen was set to make the government's case in the 2005 trial of Richard Scrushy for violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Rasmussen retired from the office in order to care for his father. Scrushy was acquitted of all charges in that trial, but later convicted on separate bribery charges.

Rasmussen has since taken on criminal defense cases. He defended former Jefferson County Commissioner Gary White of charges of corruption in his 2008 trial, winning a retrial based on a procedural error by Judge U. W. Clemon. He withdrew for undisclosed reasons before the case was re-tried. In 2009 he led the defense of fellow Commissioner Larry Langford, notably donning a costume "cash coat" and mimicking alleged attempts by Bill Blount to lure Langford into a bribery scheme with offers of money and jewelry. Langford was convicted on 60 counts.

Rasmussen also coaches the national championship mock trial team for Cumberland.

References

  • Gordon, Robert K. (October 18, 2009) "Larry Langford trial: Former prosecutor moves to defense table." Birmingham News