POLL: How did JB do in closing statements pre-lunch?

[Jakpot]

Wonder what George A thinks so far?

 

[Omachka]

I think he did a pretty fair job.

In my opinion his goal (or strategy) is to redefine (in the jury's mind) the standard of proof the prosecution is expected to meet. He keeps repeated loaded language and phrases that, while technically correct semantically, are deliberately deceptive.

The recap he is offering, coupled with the narrative above, is designed to allow him to hammer this fallacy home. Further, while some here find it laughable, I believe that his charts have been well employed. When he removed all the images on the one side of the who smelled what chart, the couple pictures remaining looked mighty lonely. It was nonsense of course, but crafty nonsense.

The guy is smart. He is doing a lot with the little that he has. That's his JOB.

Fortunately I do not believe that it will be enough. The prosecution is going to have a the final word, and it is going to be devistating.

Sorry, have to disagree just a bit. His JOB is to know and understand the Florida laws and the rules of evidence. Even after 3 years of on the job training, he still doesn't know. Doesn't matter how many time he says something wrong, it won't make it right. I'm sure that the judge and the prosecution will set it all straight though. JB's chart of who smelled what when would be great if he had the facts right. The date the two young folks rode in KC's car was the week before the murder. Tony testified that he wasn't real near the trunk but closer to the front. So, magnetic pictures are great but I bet the jurors who were taking notes will remember. If they do, they may discount everything he said. I think he did a dreadful job not just during his closing but all the way through. IMVHO I think he needs to go back to selling swim suits and forget about lawyering all together.

 

[Zoe Bogart]

His continuous claims that the defense doesn't have the burden of proof, doesn't have to prove anything, only proves to me that he can't prove anything he says, otherwise, he would. Burden of proof or no, JB would have been flashing evidence all over the place if he had any.

 

[lovegrace21]

Sorry, have to disagree just a bit. His JOB is to know and understand the Florida laws and the rules of evidence. Even after 3 years of on the job training, he still doesn't know. Doesn't matter how many time he says something wrong, it won't make it right. I'm sure that the judge and the prosecution will set it all straight though. JB's chart of who smelled what when would be great if he had the facts right. The date the two young folks rode in KC's car was the week before the murder. Tony testified that he wasn't real near the trunk but closer to the front. So, magnetic pictures are great but I bet the jurors who were taking notes will remember. If they do, they may discount everything he said. I think he did a dreadful job not just during his closing but all the way through. IMVHO I think he needs to go back to selling swim suits and forget about lawyering all together.

Your post makes me feel better. I was confused/did not remember exactly when Maria or the one had rode in the car, so I was thinking it was AFTER the murder and I was really worrying about that.

I am also worrying about the dribble JB is going to spew about the number of times Chloroform was searched...but I am still confident that the SA will come back and stomp all over the DT's closing arguements.

 

[Chris_Texas]

NOTE: My 'defense' of JB is completely unrelated to my conclusions about this case. I am doing my best to be objective. JB's JOB is to defend ICA. That's our system.

I think JB is probably a fine lawyer. I don't know what people expect from him or anyone else when the evidence is so overwhelming. If ICA's head started spinning around, green pea soup flying, I think pretty much everyone would shrug and say "Well yeah, kinda expected that, the B*#%@ is EVIL!"

And if that happened, and for all intents and purposes it pretty much did, JB's job would be to get up there and claim that at least SOME people thought it looked more like Avocado dip than soup.

 

[Omachka]

Your post makes me feel better. I was confused/did not remember exactly when Maria or the one had rode in the car, so I was thinking it was AFTER the murder and I was really worrying about that.

I am also worrying about the dribble JB is going to spew about the number of times Chloroform was searched...but I am still confident that the SA will come back and stomp all over the DT's closing arguements.

The SA gets to go again at the end and will have the final word that I can guarantee will straighten up all the discrepancies the DT tries to throw in there. I think that will be very powerful and will be what the jury is left with just before they get their instructions and deliberate.

All that said, I'm nervous too. Caylee deserves her justice and I am hoping and praying she gets it. She couldn't have better advocates than this prosecution team though.

 

[zoey]

I voted 1, but I'd like to say that I don't pity this fool. He had nearly three years to prepare this defense. He wasn't handed this case at the last minute. He came across as bumbling, incompetent, and very patronizing toward the jury. His constant throwing of others under the bus infuriates me, and I can't believe that he again tried to go with his completely unfounded and delusional theory that the state was out to get Casey. Ridiculous, IMO.

IIRC, didn't he say in the media at various times throughout the last couple of years that when this case went to trial, we'd all be able to completely understand all of Casey's lies and actions? I understand none of her actions at all. He's cleared nothing up for me, other than making me even more convinced of her guilt. I'd say his entire defense was a big FAIL.

MOO

It was supposed to be cleared up in opening statement I never did get that aha moment

 

[buckeyefan1]

I wonder if JB is watching HLN coverage and getting pointers for the rest of the closing arugment by him.

 

[darcedarce]

blah blah blah...I pity the fool

 

[Nali87]

The thing with JB is, he makes a big deal out of the things that the state can rebute in a second. Those who smelled the trunk, were close to it. The others were not.

 

[Noway]

I don't like JB so it's difficult for me to be objective.

 

[Lovejac]

He jumped around more than a grasshopper on hot pavement!!

 

[Chris_Texas]

Sorry, have to disagree just a bit. His JOB is to know and understand the Florida laws and the rules of evidence. Even after 3 years of on the job training, he still doesn't know. Doesn't matter how many time he says something wrong, it won't make it right. I'm sure that the judge and the prosecution will set it all straight though. JB's chart of who smelled what when would be great if he had the facts right. The date the two young folks rode in KC's car was the week before the murder. Tony testified that he wasn't real near the trunk but closer to the front. So, magnetic pictures are great but I bet the jurors who were taking notes will remember. If they do, they may discount everything he said. I think he did a dreadful job not just during his closing but all the way through. IMVHO I think he needs to go back to selling swim suits and forget about lawyering all together.

Respectfully, are you suggesting that Ashton would have sat in silence while JB violated the laws and rules of evidence? In any case JB is there to do everything within the law to get his client off. He doesn't have a lot to work with here.

I understand that to MANY people this job he has is distasteful, but that's our system and it's a damn good one.

 

[susan1122]

Pictures are ofter more powerful than words. He successfully showed a picture to the jury in which "those who smelled nothing" vastly outnumbered those who did. Of course it is ludicrous when you THINK about it, his explanation made no sense at all, but that's not really the point. The point was the image.

CBM

I gave him a 3, mostly for the visual of the pictures. But as Bette said, 3 is generous. Even though there were more people that didn't smell it, the people that did smell it have smelled a dead body before and they all knew what it was. There may be fewer that smelled it, but the people that did carried more weight, imo.

I also feel JB was disorganized and it was confusing, not powerful. I am not crazy about him, but I am trying to be objective.

 

[USARDOG]

JB is one of, if not the least articulate attorneys I have ever seen. When that is coupled with his large ego, his disdain for rules, disdain for the authority of the court, and his apparent lack of knowledge about the law, "I pity the fool" seemed a very good choice.

This IMO is not bashing, but rather is my opinion of how he has conducted himself through this case.

 

[Omachka]

NOTE: My 'defense' of JB is completely unrelated to my conclusions about this case. I am doing my best to be objective. JB's JOB is to defend ICA. That's our system.

I think JB is probably a fine lawyer. I don't know what people expect from him or anyone else when the evidence is so overwhelming. If ICA's head started spinning around, green pea soup flying, I think pretty much everyone would shrug and say "Well yeah, kinda expected that, the B*#%@ is EVIL!"

And if that happened, and for all intents and purposes it pretty much did, JB's job would be to get up there and claim that at least SOME people thought it looked more like Avocado dip than soup.

I understand that you are just trying to be objective and I don't hold that against you. I have an idea we agree about plenty of other things but I totally disagree with you when you say JB is a fine lawyer. He is the worst I've seen and I've seen plenty of bad ones. I realize he has nothing to work with here... a good lawyer would have tried to get her to plea to a lesser offense when she had the chance.

Maybe we can just agree to disagree. I live here in Orlando and I can tell you for sure that I wouldn't hire JB for anything. As fast and loose as he's been playing this whole thing, I'm not real sure he will be available as a lawyer when this is over. Remember, he still has some things to answer for in regards to contempt of court. I think there may be some ethics problems for him as well.

 

[Tuffy]

Jose said in his argument that we know when abuse is happening, no one got up on the stand and testified that Caylee was abused. Yet, earlier he wanted to mention Casey's abuse that no one knew about, and no one had testified to.

ETA- Why call your client a "lying, no-good, *advertiser censored*?" I think that's a mistake, and it actually echos what Geraldo says about Casey constantly. I don't get it.

 

[kathyn2]

I had to give him a 1. I was so bored I didn't even hear him after a while. I zoned out. I can't believe 4 people gave him a 10. He paddling up S*** Creek tho. No matter what, Casey is going to prison for a long long time.

 

[Noway]

If you get past the bad taste in jokes during a murder trial (was he trying to compete with pigs in a blanket?) and the rambling that never quite seemed to get to a point, there may be bits and pieces that connect with the jury.

I'll give him a 4.

I too wondered why GA, former LE, who smelled the smell one never forgets, who loved his daughter and granddaughter never called LE.

But I think I might be overcompensating for my inability to be objective when it comes to JB.

 

[angelmom]

Can't vote from my phone, but i would probably give him a 2.

Problems:

Went on too long about how the defense doesn't have to put on a case after they went on and on and on. This argument has more weight if they have brief or no case.

Child abuse - I think everyone knows of cases where abuse is hidden for years.

Argument that we don't know how Caylee died, after telling us in opening that we knew exactly how she died and the state had wasted everyone's time and money by overcharging Casey.

Calling Casey a "lying no good *advertiser censored*." No one called her that in this whole trial except him. I don't even really think it was implied. He went on and on about how the SA tried to get them to hate her...but there wasn't any of that from the state.

Utter failure of sex abuse allegations. Not really about closing, but the jury has to be wondering why it's not there any more.

Even more, but it's 1:30. Gotta go!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk