Bernie Madoff's Lawyer Says the Inmate Won't Attend His Son's Funeral
Dec. 13, 2010 — -- Bernie Madoff will not attend his son's funeral and will instead hold a private service from behind bars, according to his lawyer.
"Mr. Madoff will not be attending the funeral out of consideration for his daughter-in-law and two grandchildren's privacy," said Madoff's lawyer, Ira Sorkin. "He will be conducting a private service on his own where he is now."
The confirmation that Madoff would be absent from his son's burial came after debate over whether the Bureau of Prisons would allow him a furlough to begin with.
Sorkin declined to comment on whether Madoff had asked to attend the funeral.
Madoff is currently serving a 150-year sentence at the Butner Federal Correctional Complex in North Carolina.
Herb Hoelter, a prison consultant who advised Madoff prior to his placement at Butner, told ABC News that it was unlikely prison officials would allow Madoff to attend if he wanted to: "They will probably not allow it in this case."
Mark Madoff, 46, hanged himself at his downtown Manhattan apartment Saturday with a dog's leash. His two-year-old son was sleeping in a nearby room.
The suicide was timed to the two-year anniversary of his father's arrest, almost the hour.
Madoff's son had been struggling in the wake of his father's conviction, but lawyers continue to say Madoff had no worries about any possible criminal charges despite an ongoing investigation.
According to Hoelter, the security risk to Madoff combined with the Bureau of Prison's media-shy reputation would have made Madoff's case to attend the funeral an uphill battle.
"The B.O.P. will say that it would create too much of a furor," said Hoelter. "That it would create too much turmoil if he were allowed to go."
Ed Ross, the spokesman for the Bureau of Prisons, declined to comment on how Madoff learned of his son's death. He said the department also does not comment on inmate's requests for furloughs.
If Madoff wanted to attend the funeral, Ross said he would have to request permission through his correctional counselor. That request would then be sent to the associate warden, then on to the warden who would make the final determination.
Butner's inmate handbook outlines the prison's policy on inmates leaving for events such as funerals or to visit family members who are on their deathbeds.
