GUILTY FL - Dan Markel, 41, FSU Law Professor, Tallahassee, 18 July 2014 *arrests* #11

[Mariposa]

I will never understand why they didn’t encourage to a plea. I think she could have been out by now.

I don’t think we know if they encouraged her or not.

My theory is she may have felt emboldened by the hung jury on her last trial.

And may have thought in this trial, without the complications of being tried jointly with SG, she would have a much better chance—the idea that SG would testify and paint a picture of his direct plotting with CA, and be the knight in shining armor getting KM acquitted, and if that all got derailed by the recent jail phone call recordings of SG, KM, Kawass. I wonder if those jail transcripts will ever be public.

 

[jbc]

I don't think she would be out in the free now with a plea. The deal would have been likely similar to what LR got, 20 years. I'm thinking she got poor advice from the A's about how they were going to bring in a hotshot Miami legal team to easily win her case in the sleepy Leon County court house. When choosing between a perceived easy exit vs. 20 years, she made the wrong choice.

Yeah, that's the key. Charlie targets gullible women. Katie believed in him and wanted the money. Katie never stopped believing in Charlie. Just like June never stopped believing her own dream of a fairy-tale life with Charlie. What vitamin does Charlie take to have these super powers?

 

[Weki]

Wow just watched the video of Kawass and the other female co-counsel bawling! Like I said I think it was the tension and also empathetic tears bc KM was bawling before the verdict was even read. DeCoste kept his cool. He didn’t seem all that moved. I have to say this is a first - defense counsel bawling after a guilty verdict. I know this ain’t Kawass’ first guilty verdict! Come on now!

Edited to add - I always feel somewhat sorry for them once they’re convicted. I think being removed from the actual killing allowed KM to feel like it was all a game. She has convinced herself she had nothing to do with it.

 

[Gypsy Road]

I'm wondering if KM could not psychologically deal with pleading guilty -- that she can not bring herself to admit to this kind of wrongdoing. JMO.

Maybe so, but I learn towards maybe she is narcissistic and really thought she could get away with this.

 

[Mariposa]

Yeah, that's the key. Charlie targets gullible women. Katie believed in him and wanted the money. Katie never stopped believing in Charlie. Just like June never stopped believing her own dream of a fairy-tale life with Charlie. What vitamin does Charlie take to have these super powers?

I think it must be the appeal of his lifestyle and cash, he’s kind of a goofy looking guy and sounds like his personality is a bit unappealing.

He thought he was periodontist by day, Scarface by night, but his luck ran out!

 

[Ferpo]

Yeah, that's the key. Charlie targets gullible women. Katie believed in him and wanted the money. Katie never stopped believing in Charlie. Just like June never stopped believing her own dream of a fairy-tale life with Charlie. What vitamin does Charlie take to have these super powers?

His $3M annual income (mentioned in court) goes a long way, in that regard.

 

[Gypsy Road]

I don’t think we know if they encouraged her or not.

My theory is she may have felt emboldened by the hung jury on her last trial.

And may have thought in this trial, without the complications of being tried jointly with SG, she would have a much better chance—the idea that SG would testify and paint a picture of his direct plotting with CA, and be the knight in shining armor getting KM acquitted, and if that all got derailed by the recent jail phone call recordings of SG, KM, Kawass. I wonder if those jail transcripts will ever be public.

I agree!

I don’t believe the calls will be public. I think I heard the defense asking them to be sealed and the judge agreed to put them under seal. I would LOVE to hear what they spoke about.

Anyone else hear that?

 

[Snoop Sister]

IMO Kawass was trying to make a name for herself and was crying more for herself than KM. I found Kawass too dramatic, unprofessional, and too overly sure of herself.

Regardless, Justice was done!

 

[Weki]

That direct exam of KM….Kawass was almost out of breath. She was drowning and she knew it. That was a desperate woman leading her client and forgetting how to do a direct exam. She was much calmer and collected the first trial. Then Dugan came with the kill on cross. I mean you can see KM was panicked. They knew it was over from the get go!

 

[Snoop Sister]

I agree!

I don’t believe the calls will be public. I think I heard the defense asking them to be sealed and the judge agreed to put them under seal. I would LOVE to hear what they spoke about.

Anyone else hear that?

I thought only some of them were sealed.

 

[Weki]

I'm wondering if KM could not psychologically deal with pleading guilty -- that she can not bring herself to admit to this kind of wrongdoing. JMO.

Yeah I am coming around to this conclusion too. She has convinced herself she had nothing to do with it. An emotional psychosis. It wouldn’t surprise me if she is a borderline personality. That’s the only explanation I can think of for why self-preservation could not prevail!

 

[Gypsy Road]

I thought only some of them were sealed.

You could be correct. I feel like it was brought up earlier this morning before the jury came in - before closing arguments, so I assumed it was all calls. Hopefully someone else was more clear on this.

 

[Gypsy Road]

Do they give Xanax in jail? KM gonna need something tonight. She was hysterically crying and in disbelief.

 

[friendlyobserver]

IMO Kawass was trying to make a name for herself and was crying more for herself than KM. I found Kawass too dramatic, unprofessional, and too overly sure of herself.

Regardless, Justice was done!

yes my thoughts exactly - she too is brutal and narcissictic - yes, it's a job, but takes a certain personality to take on the clearly guilty of murder and fight for them in a not-so-clean way. For example, saying justice for dan markel will be to not convict the innocent - that last sentence of kawass in closing - that was a cruely use of the fact that dan was a criminal justice professor -- there should be some ethical limit to how you manipulate the evidence before the jury.
another example, saying they gave wendi immunity, that's not true.
she basically lied to the jury

 

[clearskies1]

That direct exam of KM….Kawass was almost out of breath. She was drowning and she knew it. That was a desperate woman leading her client and forgetting how to do a direct exam. She was much calmer and collected the first trial. Then Dugan came with the kill on cross. I mean you can see KM was panicked. They knew it was over from the get go!

Yes, the prosecutor's decision not to object turned out to be brilliant. Kawass had to know how bad it all looked. It was painful to watch. I strongly suspect that Kawass advised KM not to take the stand. JMO.

 

[Gypsy Road]

Here’s Ms Kawass site. She just won an award in 2020 for agreeing to take on Katherine’s case. Her Bio is interesting.

She has always worked as a defense attorney since graduating.

Mods please remove if this is not allowed.

Tara Kawass - Florida Criminal Defense | Law Offices of Kawass

Get to know Tara Kawass at Law Offices of Kawass Lawyers. Kristin is a Florida criminal defense attorney with over 10 years of litigation experience.

www.kawasslaw.com

 

[Gypsy Road]

Yes, the prosecutor's decision not to object turned out to be brilliant. Kawass had to know how bad it all looked. It was painful to watch. I strongly suspect that Kawass advised KM not to take the stand. JMO.

Me too. I feel like Decoste especially didn’t want her to take the stand.

 

[Laura930]

Georgia Cappleman post trial interview, “there is still a ways to go …. I can’t speak to what is going on with other suspects who have YET to be charged!”

You go girl!!

 

[Weki]

KM thought she could take the stand with her little braid and glasses and pout her way out of it. With her wide eyed “who me?” expression. Ma’am I don’t know what these boys were up to. I don’t know what he was talking about he’s always coming up with scenarios. I can’t worry my little pretty head about it all.

 

[Gypsy Road]

I wonder how much defending Katherine in two trials cost? Kawass didn’t take this pro Bono did she?