BBM. Respectfully, I don't believe you are accurate. I do believe there was cross examination by the defense. By reporters' tweets and news reports, we know that there was a meeting with the judge behind closed doors. To me, that is a strong indication the defense objected to the testimony before it began. I also know that Agent Slater admitted he isn't a handwriting expert. If he's not a handwriting expert, he didn't "authenticate" the letters. The inmate witness admitted he considered selling the letters on ebay. Through defense cross-examination, he admitted he wanted a plea deal and a lighter sentence.
I think the defense will be reminding the jury of the relevant facts about the lack of forensic evidence during closing arguments. After all, the jury was present at the trial and taking notes. It would not surprise me if at least some of them have the same concerns as posters have expressed here.
JMO
Gregg Slater, investigator for Colorado Bureau of Investigations testifies that he recognizes Frazee's handwriting based on other pieces of evidence collected. Although he adnits he's not a handwriting expert.
Former inmate testifies in Patrick Frazee trial
I don’t think you’re quite understanding.
First, they “objected” via mid-trial motions. A motion in limine to exclude the evidence outright so the jury would never know if it.
That failed.
Their next step would be to challenge authentication. They did not do so. If there was a real question as to whether PF was the author it would be gross error to fail to object on the record during testimony.
As I stated, those are two different things. They did one and not the other.
Second:
“Prosecutor Beth Reed then called up Gregg Slater, the CBI agent, who went through 17 of the letters that Frazee and the inmate allegedly passed back and forth while in the Teller County Jail. Slater said he reviewed these letters. He said all the letters appeared to match Frazee’s handwriting. He read them out loud in the newsroom
In their passed notes, Frazee asked the man to kill witnesses — Kenney, Michelle Stein (Kenney’s friend in Idaho), John Moore (Frazee's friend who previously testified), Wendi Clark (Moore’s significant other) and lead Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Gregg Slater — and described where they live now and what they look like. In a testimony, Slater confirmed the descriptions of each person and their places of residences were all accurate.
The defense did not cross-examine Slater.
The prosecution then said they would rest their case. The defense — after confirming that Frazee would not testify — also rested without bringing up any witnesses.
Frazee trial: Letters say Frazee asked inmate to kill witnesses
Slater is who authenticated the letters as in PF’s handwriting. They did not challenge his knowledge in any way. They were admitted thus they were authenticated.
You can’t bring up anything in close that didn’t come out in testimony. So the defense can’t say Slater lacked the expertise to make that analysis because they didn’t challenge him on his expertise.
The forensic evidence in this case was voluminous and damning. Blood evidence, burn evidence, dental evidence, phone records.
I recall you didn’t think so at all in the CW case either. You defended him strenuously. I’m not sure if you remember that in that case my opinion was the evidence was massive. No room for
reasonable doubt.
We all know how that one turned out.
My legal opinion is the same with this one
