Liberty is expensive wrote:

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Chris Doherty and Chris Cullen are first cousins.  Moms are sisters. 

Virginia MacGreggor and Chris Cullen are also first cousins. Moms are also sisters.

All Green Ridgers, all on N. Washington Ave.

 

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A lot of people are cousins.  Relationships to some aren't what determines loyalty to others, at least it shouldn't be.  This wasn't about a guy agreeing to show up to sand your floors.  This was a lawyer/client agreement. That's a different world than all others.  Consequences can be severe in both criminal and civil matters when your lawyer is dirty, as we just experienced.  Cullen is just that, dirty.  Exposed.  The mayor's first cousin.

It's all I can do to not seek him out and break every fvcking bone in his body, trust me. I sat by helplessly as Joanne was getting the screwing of her life on the other side of the state.  We did fully understand what was happening as we were driving out there, she cried her heart out all the way, but we didn't just fall into the whole trap head to toe.  We know these things are round one in Common Pleas Court.  Round one can be used strategically as a Plan B option, if necessary. In round one, the AG had to spill its guts not knowing what the defense will be.

It was time to make a tough decision.  Give them round one with as little damage as possible.

We had met with all of our witnesses on Sunday night as planned and explained the disturbing political turn of events. At that point we decided our strategy was to not let the AG know who the witnesses were or what they were going to testify to. We had no confidence in the court appointed mouthpiece to examine them skillfully, not that he wasn't capable. He actually talked a good game in the hallway. We kept our witnesses of sight, saving them for another day. 

We also withheld giving many documents to the appointed lawyer, understanding the consequences and risks that withholding them will likely hurt the defense at the time, but tomorrow is another day. As it turned out, the appointed lawyer wasn't even introducing what documents we did provide for him, so that worked out. Had we given him everything, the AG would surely have gotten a copy.  

We also decided that Joanne's testimony should give limited information at this stage, also knowing the consequences and risks of a guilty verdict. That decision actually became irrelevant, because the appointed lawyer was not asking her the questions necessary for her whole defense to come out. In fact, I didn't even testify. We agreed to hold that back, too.

At the end of the day, we got a guilty verdict, but we now have all of the AG's supporting documents and we besides knowing all of their witnesses, we now know what they had testified to.  We know what was true and we know what was a lie, which will be a problem in round two. The appeal is automatic, so round two is inevitable.  We showed up with Cullen's knife in my wife's back, but they didn't get the chance to twist it. They head into round two completely exposed while we've exposed little to nothing regarding our defense.