Found Deceased AL - Paighton Houston, 29, left bar with 2 men, Birmingham, 20 Dec 2019 #4

[bwt42]

But she remembers that PH left with 2 heavyset black males at 10:45 P.M. and than cannot remember anything else?

We are getting close to sleuthing the coworker. I'm not aware that she doesn't remember anything else. Do you have a link?

 

[bestill]

No sleuthing of the co-worker or friends please. Thank you all for the brief discussion of the statement from the attorney.

 

[Seattle1]

The Criminal Defense Attorney in a quoted statement mentioned he was SPECIFICALLY hired for the SOLE PURPOSE of facilitating 'communication,' between his client and Law Enforcement.

Sole purpose, so imo the rest is bs to cover over the true reason he was hired in a statement in the same article, as it seems to be working here on this board.

I think I interpreted the attorney's statement differently beginning with the title of the news article that accompanied the statement:

Lawyer refutes social media 'bashers' attacks on friend of Paighton Houston

My interpretation may have been different if the title read "Lawyer hired by witness in Paighton Houston investigation for the sole purpose of communicating to Law Enforcement."

Also, I further understood that the media bashing was about allegations the witness was withholding information, changing her story, or not cooperating in the investigation (read on WS posts before deleted by mods). If lawyer targeting the same rumors, I think his statement (bolded by o/p) was to emphasize that witness was in-fact cooperating or else his sole services would not be necessary.

MOO

 

[Ontario Mom]

To me his statement opens doubt about what has been remembered and what has been said as the story of that night. He planted that seed with his wording. He didn't need to do that unless he's covering for a potential conflict or did he?

My impression of that statement is that he was allowing for however/if his client was somehow intoxicated that evening and doesn't have full recollection of the events. I mean, they were out at a bar, having drinks (we can assume) so... I think he's covering that base with his language. I think it's smart thinking on his part, on behalf of his client.

 

[Beth11311]

I find in general (not speaking about this case) that with both OD’s and suicides, parents would often rather believe there was foul play involved.

There have been a lot of times in the past where I’ve seen a family refuse to believe that their loved one committed suicide or OD’d; perhaps it’s the need to blame something for the terrible loss.

I wonder, if this does turn out to be an OD, if PH’s family will feel the same. No judgments, just something I’ve noticed in past cases and wonder about in this one.

 

[TheExperience]

My thought is the witness spent the evening at the Tin Roof bar where alcohol is served and her memory of the evening may not be 100% clear. She can't provide what she does not remember. MOO

Alcohol intoxification is never the best idea in ones defense when there is a dead body discovered, regardless if the body is found in a makeshift grave or a smashed up hit and run, drunk and driving incident, involving dead crash victims or one involving no victims, simply driving but the breath smells like motor oil.

Edit to add: imo a prosecuter or DA could tear this defense up and then say this person with little to no memory could have done anything possible, including committed a series of crimes, because they can only remember clearly to an earlier account, and remember nothing else from that point forward, thus no memory does not make one not guilty of a crime. Then, they pull up cases where a defendent committed atrocities while no memory of those atrocities secondary to alcohol consumption.

Black outs and being intoxicated, not remembering smashing into and killing a family or simply driving while blacked out drunk is not a defense, and they cannot remember sitting in the vehicle, placing the key in engine, and placing a foot to the gas pedal.

Imo, people earn respect and earn trust and when a person chooses to remain highly evasive and hidden behind a Criminal Defense Attorney, they have not earned trust nor respect yet. I won't sleuth this person, as the rules state, but it does not mean, I have to believe, trust, and respect a person without any doubts, in my mind, when they have not dealt one card onto the table, holding them to themselves, extremely close. I hope Paighton's family learns the absolute truths in this case, without any doubts, in the end.

 

[indianwin2001]

DBM

 

[Momof4RN]

My opinion..He should have kept the communication between he, his client, and LE.

 

[GeorgiaRai]

I disagree. I think he is speaking just like a criminal defense lawyer would. Evasive and" legalese" criminal defense lawyer talk.

Yes, it's something a defense lawyer would say, but it can still be true! Every account we give of a past experience is not "what happened" but what we remember of what happened. It may sound like semantics, but technically, what he said was 100% appropriate. IMO.

 

[Lusitana]

My opinion..He should have kept the communication between he, his client, and LE.

I agree. That statement was to save face. She was never identified on MSM, as far as I know. If there were safety concerns, then just discuss it with LE.

 

[Seattle1]

I find in general (not speaking about this case) that with both OD’s and suicides, parents would often rather believe there was foul play involved.

There have been a lot of times in the past where I’ve seen a family refuse to believe that their loved one committed suicide or OD’d; perhaps it’s the need to blame something for the terrible loss.

I wonder, if this does turn out to be an OD, if PH’s family will feel the same. No judgments, just something I’ve noticed in past cases and wonder about in this one.

No doubt that any death-- whether of natural cause or other-- can affect the thinking of grieving loved ones. Even courts recognize the potential for the absence of a clear mind and sound judgement after the death of a loved one with probate laws which primarily prevent certain estate decisions for a period of 6 months.

We know by her own testimony that PH entered a treatment facility, near death, for heroin addiction (2018), and her parents told to prepare for the worse. I think that with PH living under her parents' roof, and witnesses to her progress and setbacks, this may also fuel any current opinion. I do believe if toxicology supports death by OD that they will accept it and continue to fight for anybody that battles addiction. MOO

 

[bestill]

My opinion..He should have kept the communication between he, his client, and LE.

Exactly. A statement like that calls into question the "remembering", maybe it's not so clear on any or all of the details. JMO

 

[PezCandy]

No sleuthing of the co-worker or friends please. Thank you all for the brief discussion of the statement from the attorney.

I felt that this was appropriate to quote as usually the topic about the lawyer ends up changing to co-worker

 

[TheExperience]

I think I interpreted the attorney's statement differently beginning with the title of the news article that accompanied the statement:

Lawyer refutes social media 'bashers' attacks on friend of Paighton Houston

My interpretation may have been different if the title read "Lawyer hired by witness in Paighton Houston investigation for the sole purpose of communicating to Law Enforcement."
MOO

Criminal Defense Attorney Statement: I have been involved solely to facilitate the communication between Grace and law enforcement.

Imo, if a person feels they are in desperate need of 'Great Public Relations,' a PR agent would have been much more effective than a Criminal Defense Attorney, who, imo, in this particular case, has a slimey and sleazy method, of using the public's passion about a case against them, in attempt to gaslight the true reason behind what he was solely hired to provide for his client, and imo, it's not a great look.

 

[JerseyGirl]

This thread has reached it's limit. I will move over recent posts and close it shorty.

Please continue here: Found Deceased - AL - Paighton Houston, 29, left bar with 2 men, Birmingham, 20 Dec 2019 #5