Courtroom antics, ones that try to stockpile sympathy for the defendants, are rather humorous and quite predictable.
Anytime you have a defendant that is more than likely guilty, the courtroom becomes a theatre where all kinds of tricks are used to gain favor or sympathy from the jury/judge/public, and sometimes they work. Misdirection and manipulation.
Bill Cosby turned into a blind man. He couldn’t get around without the aid of a walking stick or guidance of a friend.
Last week, Paul Manafort showed up to court in a wheelchair, even though he could walk perfectly fine at his criminal trial just a month before.
Earlier this year when they finally caught the Golden State Killer, he also rolled into court in a wheelchair and was barely coherent. Yet, weeks before he was jetting around town at speeds of 120+ mph on his motorcycle.
One of the most pathetic and insensitive displays of incapacity was from Oscar Pistorius. In 2016, during his sentencing hearing, he removed his prosthetics and walked across the courtroom on his stumps, while crying. His lawyer informed the judge just prior that he was greatly embarrassed and ashamed for having to do this. Meanwhile, Oscar’s been walking on his stumps his entire life, but since the public has never seen it, he was able to make it look like a harrowing experience.
A few more tricks of note: Casey Anthony’s defense team took advantage of her already small stature and youth and lowered her chair at the defense table to make her appear tiny, and presumably incapable of harming anyone. Robert Durst’s lawyers delayed a hearing last week, notifying the court their client was incontinent and in need of diapers.
The JonBenét Ramsey case is not immune to these ridiculous antics. Yesterday, Alex Hunter’s lawyer replied to his subpoena in the Burke v. CBS lawsuit with the following statements:
“Mr. Hunter is 81 years old and has been retired from the District Attorney's Office for approximately 18 years, and he is a non-party to the underlying action.”
“Mr. Hunter normally spends November to May in Hawai'i and has plans to leave Colorado on November 5, 2018. Any deposition that does not have a strong basis upon which to take place is an undue burden to him, is oppressive, and is an absolute annoyance.”
Pure pity. I suppose because Hunter is now 81, that having to testify in a trial about the case that he misled the public on, would be too much of an “undue burden”, and would be so “oppressive” and an absolute “annoyance” that we should have sympathy and give him a pass.
Let’s not forget about Mary Keenan Lacy. Perhaps she has dementia by now and doesn’t remember a thing.
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