Imaginary Problems?

Yet another brouhaha has erupted between the defense and the prosecution of the Casey Anthony murder trial. Friday’s proceedings were suspended and an indefinite recess called by Judge Perry due to the insistent whining by lead defense counsel José Baez that he should have the opportunity to depose two witnesses the State intended to give rebuttal testimony.

Perry is now clearly perturbed by the delay tactics and the continual nit picking by the defense. “There are real problems and there are imaginary problems. This better not be an imaginary problem.” He went on to say that the jury has been sequestered for over a month and are far away from home. While the attorneys can go home to their families every day and enjoy life as usual, the jurors cannot. They cannot use the Internet, read newspapers, listen to radio, or sit on the couch and watch whatever TV channels they feel like watching. They are effectively captives, and the attorneys should understand and respect the position they are in, particularly with regard to contrived issues or “imaginary problems.” The judge’s tone of voice suggested more than a hint of pique at the puerile behavior of opposing counsel.

Judge Perry has vowed to work late nights, weekends, and holidays in order to conclude the proceedings and give the trial to the jury. He voiced his firm conviction to do that by Sunday.

Meanwhile, Matthew Bartlett, the bird-flipper, is indeed in jail. I bet he doesn’t think he’s so cool now. Media reports bring out that Bartlett is not happy that Casey Anthony has been accused of and being prosecuted for a crime she did not commit. Oh, yeah? Based on what? Wishful thinking? Certainly, Ms. Anthony deserves from us all the right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Bartlett and his cohort are entitled to think what they will of Casey’s guilt or innocence, but they are not entitled to make a mockery of the trial through juvenile actions. If Bartlett comes out unscathed after his six days, it is my hope that he nevertheless learned his lesson and sends a signal to the others who would make him their hero, but I doubt it.

You’ve no doubt read posts in newspaper feedback forums and the like by people of Bartlett’s ilk, or perhaps you’ve seen their Twitter tweets. They bitch every time Judge Perry sustains a prosecution objection or overrules a defense objection. “Of course!” they say, suggesting that Perry is in bed with the prosecution, reducing them to a lynch mob out to hang Ms. Anthony the Downtrodden. Perry, of course, long has been known for his firm and fair courtroom management. He has every reason to want to avoid being biased toward one side or another, especially in such an obvious manner as these morons suggest. An appellate judge would surely see through such an attitude if even these self-proclaimed experts do. Judge Perry has demonstrated throughout this trial that he is fair to a fault, and is patient and unbiased. Any suggestion to the contrary is sour grapes. Once again, we’re dealing with a cross-section of society that is self-absorbed and too used to getting its way. They don’t care about others’ rights or property. This is what concerns me. If the jury returns a guilty verdict, will these low-lifes turn to violence to express their displeasure?

I wouldn’t worry too much. I don’t think white people really know how to riot properly, anyhow.

Bartlett must have had an interesting night in jail. Assuming that he’s still a jail virgin, he must have been thinking of where he’s going to work after he gets canned (as he should) at T.G.I. Fridays. Maybe there’s a book deal in the offing for him. Haha. Perhaps Good Morning America will pay him $10,000 to appear, although Letterman is probably a better bet. He deserves to fade into obscurity and poverty but he will probably be able to capitalize somewhat on his 15 minutes of Warholian fame. It’s too bad that our society can reward a schmuck like this in any way at all.

I’ve spent enough time on Bartlett. He’s an asshole unworthy of my time. I’ll be following his appeal, though, just for laughs.

It’s lunch time for me and for the jury. They haven’t had to hear any testimony at all today. What a life this is for them! Can you imagine being ushered into and out of a courtroom all day sitting out long periods waiting to be called back in? Could any of these jurors have had any idea of what they were in for when they joined this jury back in May? Sitting and waiting. Sitting and listening. Sitting and waiting. Just sitting. I wonder what Orange County is feeding these people. The judge is very sensitive to their plight, but how many “regular folks” care about their hardship. Once they become known after the trial, they’ll face further hardship when partisans blame them for the verdict that didn’t go their way. These are ordinary people whose lives will be changed permanently by their unselfish participation in this trial.

I’ll be back atcha when anything happens, real or imaginary.