Tuesday, January 03, 2012

"Scott, relax"

That was Scott Rothstein's lawyer during the two-week long depo after Mary Barzee Flores was able to really get under his skin

I love reading transcripts of great cross-examinations, and Mary really devastates Rothstein (her cross starts at page 2393 and the whole thing is definitely worth reading). The blogs are abuzz about this exchange (at page 2427):

Q At some point Debra Villegas' best friend and then your former lover was murdered?


A That's correct. She was.

Q She was murdered because she knew too much, right?

A Excuse me? Are you attempting to insinuate that I had something to do with that poor girl's death? Have you lost your mind?

Q You would deny that?

A I would deny it? You're disgusting. Everyone knows that I wasn't involved in it. That's disgusting.

Q How about Julie Timmerman?

A No. No. That is disgusting. Okay. I was a criminal involved in white-collar crime, involved in fraud and the like, involved with the mob and corrupt politicians and corrupt law enforcement. I'm paying for that. Melissa Lewis was a good person. She didn't know too much. She was killed by a psychopath. And you're disgusting for doing that.

Q You gave Debra Villegas a house, right?

A Why drag her family through that? They're going to have to read this, for your purposes, to defend John Harris, who's guilty.

Q You gave Debra Villegas a house --

A You should be ashamed.

Q -- right?

THE WITNESS: I want five minutes. You should be ashamed of yourself. You think I should be in jail. You should be ashamed.

MS. BARZEE FLORES: We'll talk about Julie Timmerman when you come back.

THE WITNESS: You're a disgusting human being. You're the only one out of this entire group of lawyers. You are truly, truly a disgusting human being.

MR. NURIK: Scott, relax. (Thereupon, a recess was taken.)

This exchange made me laugh:

Q You've violated oaths before, though, haven't

you, sir?

A In my prior incarnation, I certainly did.

Q You violated your oath as an attorney?

A I did.

Q You lied to judges?

A I did.

Q You put money, filthy lucre, ahead of your

clients' interests?

A Filthy lucre?

Q Yes. Money?

A Yes. I know what "lucre" is. I've just never

heard anyone use that in a question before.

Q It's in the oath, sir.

A I know it is. I remember the oath. I just --

"for lucre or malice," I remember that. Yes, I violated

that oath.

8 comments:

  1. Benson6:38 AM

    Outstanding!
    --Benson

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  2. Anonymous7:21 AM

    Thanks for the tip. Just read the Barzee-Flores cross. Doesn't get much better than that.

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  3. Fiilthy lucre? Shame on you MBF. Money isn't dirty. I hereby sentence her to re-read Francisco D'Arcona's money speech in Atlas Shrugged.

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  4. Anonymous6:31 AM

    this is amateur hour stuff. why ask this in a depo? if this case went to trial I would much prefer to spring this on the witness and have him react badly in front of a jury than telegraph this so he is ready.

    Sorry, this just is not impressive

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  5. Anonymous10:05 AM

    http://koshermeatballlawblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/former-ausa-smackdown.html

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  6. Anonymous10:20 AM

    I have Rothstein fatigue. Would the government ever use him as a witness? Seems hard to believe.

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  7. Anonymous10:35 AM

    funny you wont print my comment re the amateur hour nature of this cross becuase you like barzee so much

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  8. Mary Barzee is the best looking female Rothstein will see in the next 48 years and the dummy called her disgusting. I guess incarceration has affected his judgment also.

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