The Knoxville trial

Here are dispatches from David B. about the Knoxville Atrocity trial over the last few days:

Tuesday August 18

Something came up on Tuesday and I wasn’t able to watch the live stream of the Christian-Newsom trial. It’s just as well, as the witnesses were the enablers of the suspects, including the two white girlfriends. A nauseating group of druggies and lowlifes, none of whom were charged.

One of the many horrors of this event is that we are going to have to go through this FOUR times. Each trial will have the same evidence and witnesses. I don’t know how the parents will be able to stand it.

I have an email correspondent who is a former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney with over 30 years experience. I asked him if he had ever had a case like this one. He answered, “Yes, I have had many cases like this.”

I’m going to watch as much as possible on Wednesday.

Wednesday, August 19

The main event today was the playback of the police interview of Letalvis Cobbins. Cobbins claimed he “didn’t know what was going to happen and didn’t kill nobody.” In fact, Cobbins’ DNA was on Channon Christian. One account said that there was more from him than his half-brother, whom everyone calls the ringleader.

Our friend, reporter “Jamie” Satterfield, reports in the Knoxville paper that the medical examiner will testify on Friday or maybe Saturday. This story from Knoxville’s NBC station says that Tru Tv is covering the trial. If so, they are recording it to play after their current trial is over. This is standard practice for Tru Tv.

All four suspects gave taped interviews to the police in which they blame everybody else. This reminds me of a statement attributed to Trotsky. Trotsky is supposed to have said, “You can approximate the truth by a comparison of the lies.”

LA replies:

It’s really obscene that they’re having four separate trials. What kind of masochism is going on in modern society that it subjects itself to such things, not to mention the families of the victims? It’s inhuman.

And you’re right. Each defendant will say the others did it, making it harder to convict anyone.

David replies:

I don’t believe Cobbins is going to get the death penalty the way it’s going. The only one who might is Davidson.

Thursday, August 20

Today, another taped Cobbins interview was played. He claimed all he did was take Channon Christian a glass of water. Around midday, the judge asked Cobbins if he knew what he had pleaded guilty to. Cobbins seems to think he should walk.

In Tennessee, if you are physically present while a murder is going on, you are guilty even if you did not strike the fatal blow. Cobbins has his DNA all over Channon Christian, which is why his attorneys made him plead guilty to “facilitating” rape.

My brother practiced law in Knoxville until six years ago when he relocated to Middle Tennessee. He told me that the Knox County DA, Randy Nichols, knew what he was doing and that he had some of the best prosecutors anywhere.

Unfortunately, an ex-prosecutor named Scott Green now in private practice was court-appointed to represent Cobbins. Green is far superior in skill to the lead prosecutor Takeesha Fitzgerald. Even with an impossible case, Green sometimes scores on cross. Why didn’t Nichols appoint the best attorney he had to prosecute the most brutal murders in Knox County history?

Will the seven black jurors prefer Takeesha to Latalvis? We have to hope so. Tomorrow the medical examiner will testify concerning the autopsies. It will be the most gruesome yet. The prosecution might wrap up their case. We will have to go through the same witnesses and the same evidence three more times.

Thursday August 20, cont.

Jennifer Millsaps, who does forensics for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was the last witness today. On Christian’s body and shirt, Millsaps said she found sperm from Cobbins on her shirt and jeans. Millsaps said an oral swab from Christian came back with Cobbins’ DNA on it. Swabs from her vagina and rectum matched Davidson’s DNA. A rectal swab from Newsom showed semen, but Millsaps said she couldn’t determine whose it was. Millsaps said she also found Cobbins’ sperm on floral fabric that was used to bind Christian and Coleman’s (the female suspect) DNA showed up as well.

This, of course, implies that Channon Christian was gang-raped.

Friday, August 21

Here is Jamie’s usual article. The medical examiner testified on the indescribable torture Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom endured. The ME did well, I thought.

The judge asked Cobbins if he wanted to testify. First, Cobbins said he would not testify. Then, with an arrogant smirk, he said, “I want to sleep on it.” I believe Cobbins thinks several of the jurors bussed from Nashville are on his side.

The closings take place tomorrow. Will the prosecution do better than they have so far? The jury will get the case tomorrow afternoon and can deliberate on Sunday if they so decide.

Friday August 21 cont.

This is hard to take, but here is an account of the medical examiner’s testimony. They were ALL in on it.

The article also brings up what I have previously mentioned. The defense attorney, who used to be the top prosecutor in the local DA’s office, is far better than Takisha Fitzgerald.

Update: Cobbins has taken the stand against the advice of counsel. If some of the black women on the jury feel sorry for him, the jury will hang on the murder charges.

Saturday August 22

I haven’t got time to write an account now, but I feel more confident today. I give Takisha Fitzgerald credit for a good closing argument. Cobbins was sickening on the stand (“I didn’t rape her. She offered me oral sex.”). He actually torpedoed the defense his attorney had been building.

Update:

In her closing, Takisha was far, far better than Marcia Clark was in the Simpson trial. Takisha REALLY ripped the defendant.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at August 22, 2009 03:22 PM | Send