SC - Paul Murdaugh & mom Margaret Found Shot To Death - Alex Murdaugh Accused - Islandton #23

[mrjitty]

I think they did not want Owen to testify about it. They wanted to wait until his direct exam was finished before opening the door. I could be wrong but I think the State was hoping to use Owen as their primary witness on it. JMO.

Can't they simply call him back on that point though?

ETA: seems they can

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1626214816309444617

 

[Gardenista]

One thing I noticed about the phone expert yesterday - he was able to definitively say that Maggie's phone would not show an orientation change under certain conditions (meaning when it was thrown in the woods). The original phone witness was not able to do that when the defense cross-examined him. I think the phone expert yesterday was called to pin down some things that the original phone witness was unable to clear up. JMO.

True, but the SCAGO guy was on the state's original witness list, he was not an add-on. Maybe it was a toss up as to whether they were going to call the first expert vs the guy from yesterday for the entire phone testimony? Or I guess they could have known all along that the first guy would not be able to nail down the issues testified to yesterday.

Anyways, it's NBD, just something I've been pondering. I doubt it would ever happen, but maybe Waters will write a book someday and we'll learn all of the strategic ins and outs. I'd definitely buy that book.

 

[Derph]

There is NO WAY NO HOW that man used $50,000 worth of opioids per week. It's impossible.

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1626230074898001922

 

[arielilane]

There is NO WAY NO HOW that man used $50,000 worth of opioids per week. It's impossible.

I really wouldn't know but it does seem excessive. imo

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1626231707048501252

 

[Edvis]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1626231707048501252

Love that term used by the Judge.

 

[mrjitty]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1626214824345735173

I think this line of thinking makes a lot of sense.

For all the claims that there is reasonable doubt here, I think that ignores that the defence has to come up with some fig leaf of an explanation for how AM was at the kennels but somehow isn't the killer.

So how on earth do you introduce that "mysterious killer", short of counsel speculating wildly?

So you get this into evidence, AM had to lie to police because he was in too deep, and maybe if it all sounds wild and crazy enough ...

 

[makayla]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1626231707048501252

I love this Judge! He can be quite humorous at times, as well as making wise decisions.

 

[Aquarian]

I want to hear the details on this brain bleed

 

[Aquarian]

I love this Judge! He can be quite humorous at times, as well as making wise decisions.

Seems he’s chuckling behind his hand sometimes imo

 

[Edvis]

Watching the defenses faces with the judges rulings, like someone popped their party balloons.

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1626233414352527365

 

[arielilane]

10 min recess

 

[makayla]

Good grief, the defense is at it again! A recess already before we start!

 

[Derph]

Well today sure is off to a dramatic start!! Drama Alert :Code Yellow!

 

[girlhasnoname]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1626231707048501252

I love Judge Newman, the man is solid 100.

 

[Algo214]

Defense done themselves in. It's them that should've brought Eddie up on THEIR case, not the Prosecution's.

My legal opinion only.

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/AveryGWilks

We're back.

With the jury excused, Murdaugh defense attorney Jim Griffin stands and disputes that he asked any questions yesterday that opened the door for the state to introduce the 2021 roadside shooting into this case.

“This is the first case I’ve had the benefit of being able to go back to Youtube and see exactly what I asked.” Griffin reads a transcript of his cross-examination of SLED investigator David Owen. He asked Owen about Murdaugh’s financial crimes and whether he stole to fuel a …

... drug addiction, and whether he was buying drugs from Curtis Smith. But Griffin never mentioned the 2021 roadside shooting.

Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters says you have to put Griffin’s questioning into context. He says Griffin did open the door for further testimony on the roadside shooting.

Newman: “Mr. Griffin introduced the relationship between the defendant and Eddie Smith.” We did a pretrial hearing without the jury and made clear the roadside shooting was a bridge too far.

Newman said the defense then built a road over that bride in asking questions “as if they could dance through fire without getting burned.”

Newman: The defense introduced the relationship between the defendant & Eddie Smith and then sought to infer that Eddie Smith might have been or should have been a suspect in the murders. “The state is entitled to explore this relationship between the defendant and Eddie Smith.”

Judge Newman is annoyed at the defense as defense attorney Dick Harpootlian rises to make another point. “We have a ruling. We have a record. We have an exception to the ruling, and now we have another comment. Go ahead,” Newman tells Harpootlian.

Harpootlian doesn’t want statements AM gave to investigators from the hospital after the roadside shooting to be introduced in this case. He says AM had just suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was heavily medicated and wasn’t competent to be interviewed by law enforcement.

Waters: This doesn’t have to take all day. “I do need to be able to relate to the jury though the defendant’s claim … that he was attacked by an unknown assailant on the side of the road” when in fact he had arranged the shooting.

Waters: We do want to streamline this testimony (rather than having the 911 operator, paramedics, doctors, etc. testify), but we don’t want the defense to punish prosecutors for doing so by lodging a bunch of objections.

The two sides are going to try to work on an agreement on how to do this. We’re on a short break.