Lawyer asked him about arguments with Michelle, he admitted it, then he was asked did he ever get physical with Michelle and I swear he blinks so much his eyes are shut more than they are open. Next question "you never even threw that remote did you?" and the blink-fest continued. Then line of questioning switched up a little and he went back to "normal" (blinking a LOT but not as obvious)

[Edited on June 22, 2011 at 10:34 AM. Reason : did he just finish off a whole pitcher of icewater???]

6/22/2011 10:33:22 AM

This testimony seems pretty bland for the risk that the Defense takes in letting the prosecution get ahold of him on cross.

6/22/2011 10:36:07 AM

There's a lot to say for having someone on the stand affirmatively deny murdering his wife.

6/22/2011 10:39:17 AM

^true, but that was out of the way in the first 30 seconds.

The rest of the time is him blinking, looking nervous, telling strange stories, and then getting potentially butchered by the prosecution.

6/22/2011 10:54:57 AM

Well, they've got to build him up a bit. Because North Carolina has a wide open cross examination. So, the prosecutor can grill Jason on anything at all under the sun, even if all he testifies to is "I didn't do it." In that case, it makes more sense to explain away some of the things people have harped on (the leather purse from ebay, the ring swallowing story) and make them non issues, before he explains the night of the murder.

6/22/2011 10:56:47 AM

I haven't followed this case at all until i saw on here that the actual guy was on the stand, but I'm not buying all these elaborate stories about the doors of the hotel.

6/22/2011 11:12:05 AM

when does the cross start? i might actually tune in for that...

6/22/2011 11:12:24 AM

Cross starts when direct is finished.

6/22/2011 11:15:19 AM

guess i need to start watching now then huh



[Edited on June 22, 2011 at 11:18 AM. Reason : V - thanks]

6/22/2011 11:16:07 AM

They are recessed until 11:30

6/22/2011 11:17:38 AM

I don't know. It seems rehearsed (and they've likely practice this a gillion times), but I can understand leaving a door propped open. I mean, who hasn't done that at a hotel? Just incredibly unlucky that he did it this night, if he actually is innocent.

6/22/2011 11:19:25 AM

So I missed something, did he say something about the doors at the hotel?

6/22/2011 11:24:54 AM

Quote :

"I don't know. It seems rehearsed (and they've likely practice this a gillion times), but I can understand leaving a door propped open. I mean, who hasn't done that at a hotel? Just incredibly unlucky that he did it this night, if he actually is innocent."

wouldnt he have had to scan to get back into the building after "smoking?" Did he say he propped open that door too?

has he explained what happened to the clothes and shoes he was last seen wearing that night?

Quote :

"I mean, who hasn't done that at a hotel?"

Normally when i leave a door open to my hotel room, there is someone else in there. I'm not sure I've ever propped it open and left eyesight of it...maybe a quick run to the ice machine. theres no way in hell i would leave my door propped open, go down the elevator and go outside of the building, while all my stuff is inside...and i bet most people would say the same

6/22/2011 11:26:46 AM

Prosecution is going to slay him on the stuff he probably did not rehearse. Example: Why did he print ebay pages and leave them in the printer when he printed mapquest directions and took them with him?

6/22/2011 11:28:28 AM

"We may have a sick juror."

Young's goons got to her.

6/22/2011 11:33:16 AM

Quote :

"I don't know. It seems rehearsed (and they've likely practice this a gillion times), but I can understand leaving a door propped open. I mean, who hasn't done that at a hotel? Just incredibly unlucky that he did it this night, if he actually is innocent."

Yea, it would have been different, if he was like "I shut the door carefully to not allow it to latch" but he went on and on about how the door was different than any hotel door he had ever encountered because it didn't have enough closing force to overcome the door latch mechanism, etc., etc. It made it seem like at the same time he had fully analyzed the way the door behaved, he also accidentally left it open. I mean, it's certainly doesn't really mean anything, but it just seems like BS to me.

6/22/2011 11:34:27 AM

He's providing convenient answers for all of these things.

My guess is, he's going to say on the smoke break, he remembered the already propped door, so he went back in that way, and that's why he wasn't seen.

He did explain the ebay thing as "I meant to take it with me, but I just forgot" and he printed mapquest off earlier.

As far as the door thing, he said it looked outwardly as if the door was closed. I could see leaving my stuff for a quick minute if that's the case. If he were being deceptive--what he should have done is be seen at 11:59 on the cameras, sneak back in, unplug the camera, and use his keycard to get back in his hotel room. Then sneak back out the staircase that didn't have the camera. Oh hindsight.

I think it all comes down to whether or not the jury believes it's the truth, or an artfully crafted story to cover the holes. Frankly, I think his testimony has been a bit of both.

[Edited on June 22, 2011 at 11:39 AM. Reason : ]

6/22/2011 11:36:20 AM

bunch of monday morning quarterbacks murders in this thread

6/22/2011 11:39:34 AM

Ack, Judge just announced juror's name. (and her stomach issues )

[Edited on June 22, 2011 at 11:41 AM. Reason : ^ I know, I could totally pull of a better murder, I mean.]

6/22/2011 11:40:25 AM

Quote :

"Ack, Judge just announced juror's name. (and her stomach issues )"

I actually heard her name announced before they cut the audio...i was wondering if that was standard protocol or not...

[Edited on June 22, 2011 at 11:43 AM. Reason : (i'm guessing the lady just said she can't focus...despite sounding fine and answering his questions]

[Edited on June 22, 2011 at 11:44 AM. Reason : sounds like she's trying to get out of it]

6/22/2011 11:42:08 AM

Definitely not standard protocol, and actually forbidden. Jurors are supposed to be guaranteed the right to complete anonymity during the trial process (which is why the camera cuts off every time they leave the courtroom).

[Edited on June 22, 2011 at 11:44 AM. Reason : ]

6/22/2011 11:44:31 AM

Judge just wants her to toughen the fuck up.

She sounds like a drama queen. (based on Judge saying he was aware of other juror's concerns)

Just guessin.

Well, she's gone.

6/22/2011 11:45:24 AM

good thing they just cut the audio...i think he was about to announce the 2nd alternates name

so he accidentally left his room door open, and he intentionally propped open the side door with a stick...

6/22/2011 11:47:32 AM

Admitted to doing the web searches. Says it was a result of being the first responder to a car accident in the summer of 2006.

6/22/2011 11:50:50 AM

Holy shit, he's a hero.

6/22/2011 11:52:19 AM

but weren't the searches done months after the accident?

6/22/2011 11:52:42 AM

I didn't think they had a date for the searches, since they were pulled from unallocated. I may be wrong about that?

6/22/2011 11:53:12 AM

you've got to be kidding me

he said he left the room to pick up a USA today for sports records/standings...when he was just using a laptop in his room?

6/22/2011 11:57:36 AM

Haha, he said he wanted to buy a USA Today to check sports scores and schedules. Who in the hell needs a paper when they have laptop/internet access?

[Edited on June 22, 2011 at 11:58 AM. Reason : ^ HA, exactly. ]

6/22/2011 11:58:13 AM

He is full of shit.

6/22/2011 11:59:28 AM

His composure is breaking.

6/22/2011 11:59:46 AM

Now that I think about it, I can see myself buying a paper if I wanted something to do while I smoke a cigar. He should have used that excuse instead of the sports scores bullshit.

6/22/2011 12:01:29 PM

^Much better excuse. Adding that to my list of murder tips.

6/22/2011 12:03:12 PM

Quote :

"His composure is breaking."

Seems to be...we'll see what happens on the cross.

6/22/2011 12:03:18 PM

was he seen on camera or anything in the morning? whats the first piece of evidence that places him somewhere that morning?

6/22/2011 12:04:12 PM

He has the receipt slid under his door. So he absolutely had to return to the hotel if he left. Then his cell phone calls place him in the Hillsville area around 7:30 I believe. The first time he's *seen* is when he gets to the meeting. I might be mistaken, but this is my understanding.

6/22/2011 12:05:25 PM

is this prosecution asking questions? it hard to keep up while working lol


EDIT:
I can see now it's still the defense, he's seems so strange now, different than before the break like he's unsure

[Edited on June 22, 2011 at 12:10 PM. Reason : ]

6/22/2011 12:07:35 PM

That's incredible...he leaves home to sleep in Virginia and get a head start on a meeting, and says he managed to get lost and be 30 minutes late for the meeting...despite this head start. I'd like to see the mapquest directions from the hotel to his appointment. anyone know where his appointment was?


[also it freaks me the hell out when he opens eyes all uber wide]

6/22/2011 12:10:06 PM

Yeah, the crazy wide eyes is throwing me off worse than the blinking.

6/22/2011 12:12:25 PM

I think someone told him about the crazy blinking and now he's conscious of it. Wide Eyes!

6/22/2011 12:12:44 PM

so he grabs the mapquest directions, but leaves the printouts laying there?

6/22/2011 12:14:54 PM

Here come the waterworks.

6/22/2011 12:21:19 PM

Hey I think I'll stop by Applebees after I just found out my wife was dead.

6/22/2011 12:25:36 PM

he is a terrible actor, just terrible

6/22/2011 12:25:44 PM

what does the tww law community think about the decision to put this guy on the stand?


- they are gonna take lunch soon right?

6/22/2011 12:27:26 PM

Lunch is usually around 1, but if they think he'll finish up soon, they'll go until he finishes with direct.

I don't know what all he has to hide, but it's only a bad decision if he's socially awkward and won't come off well to the jury, or he's got a criminal past they want to not display, or there's something the defense wants to keep out of the eyes of the jury, that can only come out through the defendant (like an affair), etc.

I never would have thought they would have put him on the stand, but he is doing better than I expected of him.

6/22/2011 12:31:14 PM

I've asked some attorneys here at work about it and they were shocked he took the stand.

6/22/2011 12:34:11 PM

Looks like the clothes weren't missing after all.

6/22/2011 12:35:16 PM

I didn't hear all that...

I heard something about jeans, but that was it. what about the top item(s), and most importantly, the shoes?

6/22/2011 12:36:48 PM

Said hushpuppies had been given away to goodwill months before, he didn't even own those anymore (not sure if this is believable). There's a picture of him wearing the shirt after the homicide. All the Fisher's are in the picture too. Said shoes were the same ones he was wearing for the pictures.

6/22/2011 12:40:28 PM