I've been pondering NP's continued interest in all this. I certainly get that even the most heinous murderous criminals should be afforded a vigorous and indeed the best defense within our system in order for justice to be served. For me, it comes down to this question. Why does NP persist in carrying on the charade of defending his deceased client within the court of public opinion even after his client so abruptly decided to deny him the opportunity to defend him in actual court - the one that really matters?
I suspect that NP's real and limited skills lie in what we've witnessed on display in the media all along. In the event of having to actually go to trial, it would have become increasingly apparent that his woeful bag of tricks were never up to the task of getting an acquittal or anything close. Deep down, I think he knows that as well. So, he milks it for all it's worth. IMO
I'm with you on Fd figuring out that Atty. P. and Pattisville had a strategy that couldn't win. My sense is that Fd was smarter than many if not most of Atty. P.'s other clients and that Atty. P. underestimated Fd's ability to figure out so quickly that the only place Fd was going was to prison for most likely the rest of his life.
I also think the Fd experience in Family Court with the ineffective and frankly IMO useless Judge Heller gave him false confidence that the system could be gamed and that his confidence just continued to be boosted by the tricks and games he and KM played in the Civil Court with Judge Noble who IMO seemed very much over his head and unable (like Judge Heller IMO) to maintain any level of order in the Court and was unwilling to punish non compliance.
The Fd situation changed though IMO with Judge White. Judge White wouldn't be pushed around by Atty. P. like Judge Blawie and Judge White I believe was the first Judge Fd had ever run into in CT that set boundaries and imposed consequences. This had to have shocked Fd after seeing how Atty. P. could be so disrespectful to Judge Blawie in Court and also in his ongoing violation of the gag order that has never been enforced. Judge White was crystal clear about the Fd desecration of the JFd memorial and the accounts of Fd picking away at the purple DV ribbons on the memorial to remove them to me were chilling as it was clear that he was unwilling to acknowledge any part of DV in his relationship with JFd.
But, to your original point about people being unmasked my sense is that Fd lost his mask as did Atty. P.
I think Fd lost his mask when it was clear he committed fraud with Anna Curry/GV/ and Atty. P. PI to get the bail bond for AW3. Fd knew the game was up and he was heading back to prison. I will never forgot those early pictures of Fd in the orange jumpsuit and IMO he looked like he could have had a main role in the movie 'One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest' as he frankly just looked highly agitated and very disturbed. Now, hearing from his sister that he was in some kind of psych set up with no clothes (not sure this sounds credible but if they thought he would harm himself perhaps they did take away his clothes, IDK) and only a thin blanket. Clearly this experience made a lasting impression on Fd and he was unwilling to make a return appearance. IMO too back MT didn't have a similar experience to reframe her world view?!
Atty. P. lost his mask to Fd as it was clear Atty. P. couldn't keep Fd out of prison awaiting trial and also his ability to wiggle out of murder charges looked slim to none with the unveiling of AW3. Fd was also smart enough to see that the Atty. P. motions had little quality and little substance and that even the public was laughing AT the Atty. P. antics and Fd and I do think that this irritated Fd to no end as being thought of as being a 'joke' wasn't part of the facade. What is so interesting about watching Atty. P. is how little actual substance he and his team bring to the table IMO and what the State did so brilliantly IMO was simply letting their work and the evidence speak for itself. No about of Atty. P. Press BS and ongoing violations of the gag order could counter AW3 information and as I suspect Fd shared little in the way of factual/truthful info with Atty. P. , my guess is that Fd unravelled after AW3 because he saw with his own eyes what LE had and where the investigation was heading with MT and KM. Fd had no place to go and he knew his attorney had no tools or skills to help him and then IMO the despair set in.
I do think Atty Colangelo knows Atty. P. quite well and what I find so amusing about the process of watching the State deal with Atty. P. is that they really didn't have to engage with him at all as their work and the evidence spoke to itself. I guess its a bit like dealing with a bully who is also a coward and how sometimes just one solid encounter with strength is enough to bring them to their knees and back off. Atty. P. IMO showed himself to a bombastic bully but what really sunk him and his client IMO was that he was simply lacking in strategy, PR and basic legal skills.
It was odd watching Atty. P. in action attempting to defend Fd as it really seemed to be all about him all the time and I think that Fd being a classic narcopath saw right through Atty. P. at a certain point and realised he simply didn't have the legal chops and game to create reasonable doubt in the mind of a jury. Pure speculation on my part as I've been grappling like most folks here to understand what could have been happening behind the scenes with Pattisville to result in Fd gassing himself to death.
But, a big tip off IMO as to the then current status of the relationship between Fd and Pattisville was the simple fact that Atty Smith himself said in a very matter of fact way when he spoke outside the Courthouse in Stamford that he raised the alert about Fd not being present at 12:15pm. Atty Smith wasn't looking for his client and didn't even seem to know that he didn't leave 4Jx on time such that he would be in Court on time. Nope, it just seemed like another Court appearance for Atty Smith and if his client didn't show up it was zero skin off his back. I don't think I've seen such a level of sheer disinterest in the status of another human being as was demonstrated by Atty Smith outside Stamford Courthouse on the day Fd gassed himself. I keep going back to that interview with Atty Smith and I wonder if Fd even bothered to call Atty Smith or Atty. P.? Would very much love to see those call logs as my suspicion is that neither Atty Smith nor Atty. P. did anything that morning to check on Fd.
Still thinking about what might have been in Fd's head on the day he decided to commit suicide. My guess is that it had everything to do with money and returning to prison but also the fact that he had no confidence in his legal representation and their ability to keep him out of jail and eventually prison. It looked like it was just the end the road on all fronts for Fd.
IDK, the Fd world had to be bleak and absolutely lacking hope and I believe that Fd put the blame for this solely on Atty. P. and Pattisville as we know that Fd could never take responsibility for anything himself!
MOO
