TIGblogs - Dennis Dames

BY JUAN MCCARTNEY ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ juan@nasguard.com:

Senior Justice Anita Allen left her courtroom in the middle of the attempted extortion trial of former Senator Pleasant Bridgewater after a defense attorney's cross-examination of a prosecution witness escalated into a shouting match yesterday.

As the shouting in the courtroom increased, Justice Allen stopped the proceedings, said "I can't take it anymore," and excused herself.

As Bridgewater's attorney, Murio Ducille, cross-examined Michael McDermott — an attorney for American actor John Travolta — the men openly exchanged verbal barbs, even as Justice Allen repeatedly warned them to conduct themselves in a more appropriate manner.

"We are in a court of law; not a theater," said Justice Allen as the nine-member jury looked on. "This is a serious place. We are dealing with serious issues."

Before the judge left, Ducille accused Justice Allen of "attempting to muzzle" him when she directed him to move on from a particular line of questioning.

Justice Allen demanded that Ducille withdraw the comment when she returned to court.

"It is very unfair for you to say that I am muzzling you, Mr. Ducille," Justice Allen said.

Ducille apologized and withdrew the comment.

Earlier in the afternoon, the cross-examination got off to a rocky start when McDermott insisted that Ducille pronounce his name properly.

"It's McDermott not MacDermott," he said from the witness stand. "The way you're saying it is Scottish; I'm Irish."

The cross examination grew more contentious as it continued.

Ducille accused McDermott of being deceitful in his assertion that on January 12 Bridgewater demanded that Travolta pay her client — ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne, who is also on trial — an unspecified sum of money in order to turn over a document she said could implicate the actor in the death of his 16-year-old son, Jett Travolta, on Grand Bahama on January 2.

Ducille contended that McDermott orchestrated the entire series of events in order to purchase Lightbourne's silence.

Ducille repeatedly asked McDermott who initiated the January 12 telephone conversation, after he testified that Bridgewater had said that she was the one calling him during the course of the conversation.

McDermott said he placed the call to West End and Bimini MP Obie Wilchcombe, who then handed the phone to Bridgewater.

"Then why would she say that she was calling you?" asked Ducille, raising his voice.

"I don't know," McDermott replied loudly. "Maybe it was her first extortion because that's what she said."

Ducille told McDermott, "You are being defensive [and] I am suggesting that you are an untruthful witness, a witness on who reliance cannot be placed."

"The truth does not need to be defended," McDermott fired back.

Ducille also repeatedly asked McDermott if he had included certain information in his statement to police, to which McDermott said that he would need to see the statement.

"If you would be so courteous as to give me my statement, then I could tell you what it says," McDermott replied.

Both Ducille and McDermott drew sharp reprimands from Justice Allen for attempting to direct her.

McDermott's reprimand came after his insistence to Justice Allen that Ducille was not following proper procedure in his questioning of him in regards to his statement to police.

"Take off your lawyer hat," Justice Allen told McDermott. "You are a witness."

The judge paused and stared at Ducille after he flatly told her that he was going to continue to question McDermott about evidence in a videotape of a meeting he (McDermott) said he had with Bridgewater.

"I am in charge of this court, Mr. Ducille," she said, reminding him that he knows the rules of the court.

Even Lightbourne's attorney, Carlson Shurland, got involved at one point, rising to his feet to express his dissatisfaction with McDermott's demeanor.

"Mr. Witness, you do not give directions in this court," said Shurland, addressing McDermott.

When Justice Allen ended the day's proceedings, she directed McDermott to return today.

As McDermott walked past Ducille as he was leaving the bar, he told Ducille: "You have a nice night, Mr. Ducille."

Ducille replied: "You have a nice night too then."

Proceedings resume at 10 a.m.

October 2, 2009

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