Patricia Aiken
So Eric Parker himself took the stand on Thursday, August 10th. In the morning, 3 sidebars were called. Parker was instructed that he could say only what he heard and saw, but not what he felt. And not what is barred by the court order of excluded evidence. So it was one land mine after another that Parker tried to tell his side, but was met with a barrage of objections. What followed in the afternoon left everyone dumbstruck. Parker was asked by his attorney Jess Marchesse what he focused on when he got to the bridge. He said someone handed him binoculars. "I looked ahead and also up to his right." Without even an objection from Myhre, Diablo calls a sidebar. Up to his right were the snipers on the mesa, which belies the government narrative that these men had the high ground.
Marchesse comes out of the sidebar with a fascinating expression on his face- it's hard to say if he was happy, amazed, shocked, appalled or what he was feeling. He walks to his table and sits down. Navarro quickly tells Parker he's done. Parker, bewildered, give a palms up what's going on gesture. He slowly walks back to sit next to Marchesse, puts his face in his hands and weeps tears of frustration. Diablo is not allowing a man facing 99 years in prison to continue, be cross examined or answer any juror questions. If this wasn't stunning enough, she abruptly tells the jurors they are dismissed for the day and to be back on Monday without the lengthy instruction she every time they leave not to talk to about the case. Simply "court is over, be back on Monday." Their faces are aghast. The jury leaves and Navarro flees the courtroom so fast her black robe is flowing behind her leading several observers to mention that her appearance was reminiscent of a witch on her broomstick.
Monday morning, protesters from all over the West arrived. The courtroom was packed. Outside large sacks with the word TEA stenciled on them and tea bags scattered on the ground. Inside, Diablo uses Marx's favorite maxim- Accuse Others of What You Do and lambasts the Defense. She says Marchesse and Parker are going to be held in contempt. They are spreading conspiracy tales in the community. That they are experienced attorneys and how disappointed she is in their behavior. She instructs the jury that all of Parker's testimony is to be struck and they are not to consider it in deliberation.
Todd Levanthal mades a brilliant argument which Diablo and Myhre quickly realize could result in a dismissal. He says he's afraid and needs the rest of the day off to find an attorney for himself because she is threatening him with contempt for defending his client. They back right off. Next, his client, Scott Drexler takes the stand and gets through direct examination with the usual barrage- all sustained by Diablo. He was able to bring up the FBI undercover video production company- first time the jurors had heard that. Diablo disallowed most of the juror's questions.
And then, the Defense's case was over. Closing arguments on Tuesday- if the Defense is allowed since Myhre stipulated they have to give them to him first. Will this jury have enough reasonable doubt about everything they weren't allowed to hear or see? Are they still Americans that can see through this treachery?
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