Michael Baden and Linda Kenney Baden: The Ultimate Power Couple in Criminal Jurisprudence
Every World Series of Poker is special. Attend enough of them, and each year becomes a well-defined moment and a new entry onto one’s personal timeline. What creates such indelible impressions? Not the poker hands. Not the prize money. Not even the coveted gold bracelets – and I have witnessed more than half of the final hands that have taken place in the tournament’s 45-year history. Rather, it’s the people. It’s all the interesting personalities and their unique stories that I remember, and even revere, the most. This year, I had the great pleasure of meeting two remarkable people who I believe you will find just as fascinating as I did.
What do you get when you cross the nation’s most famous and widely-respected forensic pathologist with a high-powered criminal defense attorney who was once portrayed in a movie by Academy Award Winning Actress Helen Mirren?
Answer – Criminal jurisprudence’s consummate power couple.
Between Michael Baden and Linda Kenney Baden, they have independently worked on more celebrated legal cases and appeared at more notable trials than any couple alive.
Who could have guessed they’re also poker players?
MEET MICHAEL BADEN
Michael Baden is a familiar face to anyone who follows current events. Forgive the terse tagline, but he’s the king of “blood splatter.”
Here’s just a glimpse of the legal work Mr. Baden had done in the past according to his Wikipedia page. He has been a consulting/lead pathologist and an expert witness on a number of high-profile cases and investigations including the following:
— Chairman of the Forensic Pathology Panel of the House Select Committee on Assassinations that re-investigated the John F. Kennedy assassination.
— Gave testimony at the trial of O. J. Simpson.
— Investigated the remains of Czar Nicholas II and family members.
— Sid Vicious’s death.
— Claus von Bulow’s criminal trial.
— John Belushi’s death.
— Lisa McPherson’s death.
— Defense witness in Phil Spector’s murder trial.
— Richard Kuklinski’s death.
— Kathleen Savio’s death.
— Sergeant Evan Vela’s court-martial.
— Gathered evidence against Byron De La Beckwith, who was facing his third trial for murder in the death of Medgar Evers. De La Beckwith was found guilty and sentenced to life.
Mr. Baden also hosted the popular HBO television show called Autopsy, which highlighted many of the most famous criminal investigations in history.
Oh, and he’s remarkably nice, too. Maybe this civility is rooted in his profession. Let’s face it, the unfortunate people he usually deals with on a day-to-day basis don’t have the capacity to argue or challenge what he says.
MEET LINDA KENNEY BADEN
As for Linda Kenney Baden, she’s probably best known for defending Phil Spector, the brilliant former music producer and 1960’s icon who was found guilty of murdering his live-in girlfriend. Spector was tried twice. The first trial, during which he was defended by Ms. Kenney Baden, resulted in a hung jury. In the second trial, he was found guilty of murder. In the movie based on the initial trial, the screenplay was written by David Mamet. Ms. Kenney Baden’s role was played by British actress Helen Mirren, who starred opposite Al Pacino, playing Spector.
Ms. Kenney Baden also defended basketball player Jayson Williams and Casey Anthony in their homicide trials, in addition to several other high-profile legal cases.
So, among these two superstars of criminal defense, who came to this year’s World Series of Poker to play, versus watch?
If you guessed Linda Kenney Baden was the aspiring poker champion, you would be correct. She played in two events this year, including the Main Event Championship. Remarkably, husband Michael Baden watched from the rail, virtually unrecognized by anyone, which suited him just fine, and me even more so. That way, I got the rare opportunity to spend lots of time with them both, and even had dinner, which I’ll now tell you more about.
One look at Ms. Kenney Baden, and you know she’s determined to win — no matter if it’s a courtroom or a poker room.
Most interesting was the fact that when I was around her, she loved talking about poker. Along with her husband, they’re both regulars at The Friar’s Club in New York City, where they reside. However, this was the couple’s first excursion to the WSOP.
Aside from hanging out together for a few days, one of my favorite memories of the entire WSOP was socializing with them while at a dinner, and afterwrd. I’ve been to hundreds of dinners over the years with different people. However, I’ve never been to one where after the meal was over we stood around and talked and debated for another full hour. It was amazing.
Best of all, the Badens were eager to share what they could reveal about many of the famous cases they’ve worked on. I was hesitant to ask about the notable trials we’ve all seen and followed over the past 40 years, which they must have discussed over and over again to the point where it’s o longer interesting, and even nauseating, at times. Incredibly, they were not only gracious, but also most eager to listen to those around them who were present. That’s a rare trait in celebrities, which I found most endearing.
A motley crew was united at dinner that night — including Mark Napolitano, Padraig Parkinson (half-sober), Rikard Akberg, Barbara Lewis, and myself. Padriag told a few crazy stories and Ms. Kenney Baden said they were the funnest times they had while at the series.
The following day, the Badens returned to the Rio again to check out the Big One for One Drop $1 million buy-in tournament. WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart and WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel also joined us for a conversation that could have gone much longer were it not for the fact we all had jobs to do.
In short, meeting the Badens was one of the highlights of a great summer. I hope to have the pleasure of their company again soon.
READ: My experience attending a pathologists convention in Las Vegas
Spot on! Thanks for sharing.