Bernie Madoff's lawyer, Ike Sorkin, said his client wouldn't seek to attend funeral services held for his son Mark, who committed suicide early Saturday morning, “out of consideration for the family’s privacy.”  Instead, he'd conduct a private service at the federal prison facility where he's serving out his life sentence.  The Bureau of Prisons says inmates can apply for permission to attend family funerals, which is granted on a case-by-case basis.

A person in close contact with the family who had spoken frequently with Mark Madoff over the last few weeks said he'd been in “an increasingly fragile state of mind” as the anniversary of his father’s arrest approached.  This person said son Mark had expressed both continuing bitterness toward his father and anxiety about a series of lawsuits that were filed against him; his brother, Andrew; and other family members.  

C-I Note:  For once, Bernie did the right thing by not planning to attend.  The family likely would not have welcomed him, he would have been a distraction, the Bureau of Prisons probably would have said "no," and, most important of all, he caused his son's death.  Thanks, Pop.  Happy Anniversary!   [NYT Dealbook, 12/13]