Posted by panch from pool0174.cvx25-bradley.dialup.earthlink.net (209.179.216.174) on Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 8:14AM :
For the record I had no idea Shawn was gonna latch his teeth onto Lincoln as well. See Jackie and Lincoln are making a classic error...they are MAD. They aren't thinking clearly. They have both done what most angry people do in a legal tussle...they've only told their lawyer a version of things that will justify them in their own and his eyes. Shawn doesn't want to go probing around either because then he would be ethicaly bound to give them real and complete advice.
Being angry their one thought is to GET me...revenge...something Jackie deals in a lot...and Lincoln apparently got swept away in.
What they aren't doing is thinking about how this will play in front of a jury when I ask them questions on topics they haven't told Shawn about. It's one thing to NOT bring up stuff to Shawn that may make them look not so good...it's another thing to lie on the stand and under oath.
There is a reason that courtrooms are so intimidating...they are designed to be that way...if everyone sat around on sofa's and tipped brewskis people would be that less careful and might think lying in such a pleasant laid back atmosphere was no big thing.
Lying in court and on the stand is very hard to do unless you are a practised liar...AND as calm as calm can be. If you get just a bit agitated, you sweat...yes you do...and you begin to fidget and squirm and get on your guard cause you're trying to remember just which version you're maintaining and you're watching out lest you let something slip etc...and the jury is watching...and you know they are...and before long they're not gonna believe a thing you say.
An added advantage is that I know EXACTLY what the "truth" is in this case and they KNOW it...and just the experience of being compelled to answer me, with no way out of it, AND make eye contact because if they don't the jurors wonder why not...etc....will be unnerving in itself.
Jackie has to prove she ISN'T....and I don't have to prove a damn thing...the burden of proof is on her...not me. By the time this thing gets to trial, people will be sick of her and yet they'll all come down to watch...are you KIDDING??? When has this kind of trial EVER been played out in our community before???
I, on the famous other hand, am not nervous...am not lying....am eager...and am NOT angry. Jackie will try to ACT cool...ACT honest...ACT sympathetic. I'm not Persian or Armenean...I am Assyrian, born in Iraq. We people have no truck with appearances...we deal in what IS. I haven't made a lifetime profession of presenting a facade...I yam what I yam...I am eager to tell the whole story...I KNOW how a jury will respond...been there, done that.
As I am the defendant, I must be given a fair chance to defend myself...that's all I ask...that's all I wanted the chance to do.
-- panch
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