It was a hot and mostly quiet summer weekend. But there was some news.
Mr. Markus's defense of accused killer Dr. Lawrence Rudolph continues in federal court this week. The Fugitive, it is not- but it's still a fascinating case.
There is more spirit and verve in the REGJB today as your county court judges are back from a grueling week of judicial education. (See our last post. )
Opening statements are today in the Nicholas Cruz penalty phase in Broward- Cruz is the killer of 17 people at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Highschool in Parkland, Florida. We may not know much, but we know there is no way he walks out of this proceeding without a death sentence, or 17 of them. A more difficult defense we cannot imagine.
But if you want to know the really really big news, then hold on...because it's a whopper.
Jennifer Afflick and Ben Lopez got married over the weekend in Las Vegas at the Little White Chapel! *
It took twenty years, but true love won out.
*Yeah, we know we wrote their names wrong.
And you think it will be affirmed with the way the judge has been performing!? Certain reversal.
ReplyDeleteThere is no mistake the judge could make that would cause the Florida Supreme Court to reverse this case.
DeleteRumpole, have you found any other coverage of the trial. I heard Margot did an awesome 305-voir dire on reasonable doubt. And DOM crushed the opening with a closing argument. Word is that their associate Lauren has also done some nice crosses. Any info?
ReplyDeleteSo Judge Blumstein didn’t have the guts to respond to the article. https://amp.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/election/article263035533.html
ReplyDeleteOf course not. He would prefer to continue to try to trick voters into voting for him based on his improper billboards while being a horrible judge on the bench.
DeleteDid Jennifer and Ben enter into a prenuptial agreement?
ReplyDeleteIt is highly, highly unlikely that a jury will give Cruz death, as unanimity is now required. But even if a verdict of death were to be the outcome, the sentence will never survive the many post-conviction motions/petitions which will be filed. There are just too many non-statutory mitigators. I hope the families do not expect closure.
ReplyDeleteAs well, Mike Satz could have and should have allowed Cruz to go to prison w/o this performance, a self-aggrandizing exhibition only.
Harold Pryor gave in to his predecessor's desire to grandstand, even after Satz decided to "retire." Pryor showed no independence or integrity. Or any of those other macho words that can't be used in a G-rated blog.
Of course, it was good for the victims' families and other witnesses to give their testimony, as a type of therapeutic action. Some way for this to happen, outside of this penalty-only trial should have been dreamed up.