This was a very difficult cross to watch. The attorney on the stand has been through hell because of AM. He is answering honestly despite the defense trying to annihilate his character. He has maintained his dignity and honor that comes with the original friendship that has now been destroyed. Shame on the defense attorney, very disturbing behavior.
You think AM was the only one stealing and that this guy didn't realise in all these years that money was disappearing without knowledge or being complicit? If so then I have a very nice bridge for sale.
It sounds like your describing a friendship breaking down, which is completely irrelevant. These people are trying to demonstrate that someone is a killer. What the hell did you think was going to happen to his character on the stand?
@@drdeesnutts48 lol for real. Financial crimes always take more than one complicit party. They were all complicit. Explains why the CFO who’s job it is to account for all the money yet didn’t notice million dollar discrepancies over the years still has a job.
Poot asks silly questions to muddle our heads. He pretends he doesnt know ...but its purposeful. His rude attitude was dealt with brilliantly by the witness while keeping his values. Well done Sir
If you think Poot is rude, you need to see some of the top East Coast Federal criminal attorneys conduct a cross examination. Poot is a gentleman in comparison and it’s not even close. See Jeffrey Lichtman or Bruce Cutler.
I really liked Mr. Crosby. He's a reasonable man with a good temperament. The cross just made me sad. Alex was blessed with so many friends, and he betrayed every one of them.
Yes, I liked attorney Crosby, also. He seemed very sincere and ethical. I googled Dick Harpootlian, Alex’s defense, he is not a nice person. He’s a democratic state senator and on Google I read comments he had made in the senate, he’s so arrogant and rude.
That's what I kept thinking too. Friends and family! Everyone that rallied around him. In a way, they watched the death of the person they knew or they had to realize that they never knew him.
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This man he was cross examining is a TRUE MAN! If I need a lawyer I’m going to this South Carolina lawyer . He has integrity and forgiveness in his heart.
@@TherealJimDunsworth yes. As soon as alex took it too far the deal was up and they all couldn’t do it anymore. There’s absolutely no reason you can convince me they all weren’t doing this to some degree but the accountant lady for 25 years just missed this for over a decade and still has a job afterwards. she knew to look the other way
Murdaugh's attorney presented a vivid example of why lawyers get a bad name. He bullied the wrong guy. Perhaps, it's because Murdaugh's partner showed sensitivity and empathy. I would hire the witness attorney in a heartbeat. He showed honor and grace. 'Poot' needs to retire.
I'm a nobody 62yr. old woman that knows nothing about law but I can SWEAR I would NEVER hire this Defense Attorney.He wants to do things still the way he did in the 50s
That happens all the time. I’ve seen cases where the attorney objects to his own question 5 times in a row and then goes on to win the case. They’re really objecting to the answer, not the question.
I've read a couple of studies that say that most people who go through a trauma, their memories are cemented and that's the part of ptsd that's so hard to overcome. They can't forget
But memories are kind of additive and change each time we remember something as we incorporate different things we've come up with, particularly with respect to the atmosphere or feeling surrounding the memory. This is a problem in PTSD as each time one remember something, the person adds an anticipated layer of terror that then becomes part of the memory. One PTSD treatment is to give the PTSD sufferer medication to block the fight or flight response then having them remember the traumatic event. As they do, the memory starts to change and stops loaded on the fear and anxiety. Thus the person changes they effect of the memory, by changing the memory itself.
I might be abnormal but I have a very vivid exact memory of parts of a traumatic event but there were other parts of the event that I have absolutely no recollection of whatsoever, not even a foggy memory- just no memory. After the event, my working memory in day to day life was never the same again. So, I think it’s different for everybody. IDK. That said, Alex Murdaugh is guilt AF.
I have relived the moment I found out my brother had been killed to the detail. I was 12 years old, and it has been 40 years - and I still vividly recall and have relived it many times.
It is true. It was a horrible cross, very cringy. He messed with the wrong one and I think he lost the jury too.. he looked straight like a bully. Especially after the cross with the medical examiner!!!
poot is an old rich man, that seems to be misogynistic towards women.. he reminds me of my old relatives.. sometimes he just comes off like women and children should be quiet, brown and black ppl should not talk back... etc etc etc
He was rude to Blanca aswell in my opinion and it stuck out to me when he said 'we haven't met before have we' and she replied that she met him at the funeral. He probably didn't bother to pay any attention.
I think that witness used to be Alex’s best friend. It must be very difficult getting through it all and wondering/believing more and more your friend killed his wife and son.
That’s exactly what Harpootlian wanted! He was trying to act like he’s not still angry at AM which is obviously a laughable absurdity, as Dick extracted from him on the stand. He brought that anger back out to show precisely that this guy is biased against AM. That’s exactly what Dick wanted to happen. It was pretty masterful. And then he even asked the guy “do you think he did it?” And the guy didn’t even say yes! That’s huge.
@@OliviaNile You might not understand this, but when you are a person of integrity and your integrity is questioned, you can get very angry. This does not under any circumstances proof anything except that this witness is offended that Poot is implying that he is committing perjury.
@@OliviaNile He did well not to answer if he had answered yes he would imply that he is still angry and his testimony biased to having a guilty verdict. That question was uncalled for and the lawyer on the stand did a good job in my opinion.
@@OliviaNile he was angry at Harpootlian for attacking his character and honesty. I’d be pissed to. This happened 2 years ago. Anyone w/ half a brain & sense of self preservation would find a way to cope with it and move forward. Families of murder victim have taken the stand or made statements at sentencing that they forgive the person who killed their family member because holding on to the anger just hurts them. None of his testimony was refuted on cross. This animosity you talk about doesn’t seem to have actually have resulted in him lying. You can have animosity towards someone & not need to lie about them. He would have every right to be angry with AM b/c of everything he’s put them all through but he seems to have moved on which is life. Can you point out anything he’s lied about.
@@OliviaNile what difference would it make if he was angry at Alex? All that matters is that he comes off as credible to the jury and not someone willing to perjure themselves because if he is. Which he did. Harpo stepped on his own dick here.
14:48 Bless this Gentleman on stand.😟 Such a sweetheart! The bigger man by far! Lured to the crime scene along with many others by Alex to the to contaminate it unknowingly to him.
Thank you for covering this case! Omg Poot was a piece of work on cross, made himself look like a bully! “Do you think he did it?” OMG are you kidding me?!? Side bar- This has been the trial that NEVER ENDS! I thought the state did a good job in their closing today...
The question either establishes a revenge motive for testifying (Yes!) or that he's hiding his motivation (No! or I don't know!) It makes him look like a liar, especially since he got him to show just hope angry he was, how much he hated AM.
It's like he had a plan at the start but when the witness answered in a way he didn't like, he kept trying to change it so that he would get a specific answer to a question he couldn't articulate properly. He then spent the next few minutes running around the car lot randomly because he couldn't decide which car to chase (which is sad because they were all parked).
@@HomeGypsy From now on, whenever you see someone doing something that makes no sense and which is a complete waste of time, you will think "yes, they are chasing parked cars all right"
@@HomeGypsy The thing about this analogy is that it is pretty universal. We all run into people who do things like this all the time. At least now you will be able to laugh a little when you see it in the future (even though you are frustrated). Glad that I could help.
I agree with every point you made. And no, if I was the prosecutor in this case, I would NOT have objected. I would have sat there chortling in my joy as I watched defense counsel reaching for the toilet handle and flushing himself down the bowl.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for addressing this pas de deus. I thought Poot was either 1.) so brilliant that the rest of us mere mortals were unable to appreciate his genius, or 2.) Poot is certifiably beyond his “best by” date.
Seems like the lawyer misread the witness. He was trying to imply that the witness was making shit up to get back at the defendant. Except the Witness has too much credibility/integrity for that to work, and it rebounds on the defendant.
‘ol Poot could do nothing, but pout. His style of defending didn’t help Murdaugh one bit. He came across as callous and uncaring in his description of Paul’s brains being blown out of his head, pointed the gun at everyone, was constantly on his phone at the defense table, and made a full of himself while trying to bully witnesses. Time to retire.
Ronnie Crosby and Mark Ball were both excellent witnesses. They have been through hell bc of Alex. A man they trusted, worked with, and had a close relationship described as a brotherhood for decades. This entire situation has been devastating to them; the betrayal and deceit, and losing 2 people they loved. Even if they do hold some anger, which is definitely valid and human, it’s still horrific for them to be on the stand, and in no way is their testimony out of anger or vindictiveness. Poots insinuation that Crosbys testimony is biased, and he’s only up there because Alex stole from him was way out of line. These men actually have integrity, and take great heed to the oaths theyve taken as attorneys and as witnesses. Just listening to them testify broke my heart, and I simply cannot fathom how broken theirs are. Poot, the guy who is “honored” to represent Alex needs to do some self reflection.
That’s the whole point… obviously your bias because you have already made up your mind he’s guilty. So the defense is trying to show the jury that this guy who was robbed of money, his firm, etc. is of course bias and probably even hostile towards that person, and therefore provide the prosecution anything they need to help their case
Excellent comment. IMO, Ronnie Crosby was a very sympathetic witness. He spoke at Paul's funeral. The fact that Poot tried to paint him as some sort of revenge seeking guy ended up being a total fiasco.
I have a handful of lawyers that I watch on TH-cam related to Kohberger and Murdaugh. I really appreciate your honest and plain-talking perspective. It’s refreshing.
This witness gave a very clear answer to the questions about how he felt about the betrayal of Alec and the embezzlement. His voice was strong and his words unambiguous, so trying to push him to say he was still angry and therefore biased was stupid. It was ego motivating him to believe that he could best another lawyer.
Haha. I think the tone and words of the witness didn't match up at all. And once he was enraged he started contradicting himself: he hadn't forgiven Alex for stealing millions from a bunch of already victimized people and betrayed his trust, he doesn't know whether or not he murdered his wife and son, but he has no kind of emotion towards that person? Pfft.
2:54 Thank you for explaining the difference between cross vs direct examination. When in cross examination this attorney is grand standing and making statements, followed by: "Didn't you?" He comes across as hostile. As a former jury fore'woman in a trial, I witnessed this style of cross examinations and every person on the entire jury mentioned this in deliberations. In the case I was in; the lawyer was so long winded and looking for a "zinger" it really made us dislike the lawyer all together, unfortunately. The states prosecution against the defendant in my case resulted in a not guilty verdict. The case pertained to grand theft of large machinery in the amount of over 20k. The defendant was a free man just in time for Easter Sunday. The state also illegally harassed and followed the defendant by placing tracers on multiple vehicles without warrants (which included vehicles of witnesses for the defense), this was proven in court by the defense attorney with evidence. The case took place in Minnesota. 😬 Really made me think differently about the state of MN prosecutors office differently.
17:27 "This guy is sympathetic as [heck], and he's been through [heck], both financially and when he went to the scene." And when he was attacked by the defense attorney for testifying to the truth.
Could the problem be that Alex was so used to the good old boy Network and relationships with influential people getting him off of things that he chose a lawyer who had great connections instead of a lawyer who was great at trying criminal cases?
The Judge during sentencing talked about knowing Alex beforehand and working in the same courthouse at times, so I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case.
I think thats exactly what he did, he thought his attorney/s would get him off based on who he is and his reputation in the "good ole boy" system. The attorney doing the stupid torturous line of questioning has connections to Joe Biden.
The problem for Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin is they are used to fighting with the opposition having their arms tied behind their backs and blindfolded. They have never had to work hard, because their work has largely been successful based on their position of power, based on who they are, who they know, and that whole system of good ol’ boy relationships. And all their prior court cases and negotiations have taken place in the dark. But now the sunlight is shining down on everything they are doing-they are not used to that-and they did not get the judge they thought they had arranged to get. Judge Clifton Newman is not going to give them what they want just because of who they are or who their client is. And I would argue this is the first case EVER they’ve had to try under these circumstances. And their client was also sure that he was going to get bail, he wasn’t even thinking he’d be charged or that his story would be questioned at all. And that’s why Dick, Jim and Alex are really , REALLY struggling.
Exactly!!! Isn't it interesting that by coincidence the judges son died right before trial?!? Maybe someone thought he would have excused himself - but he didn't!!
I love it when you tie your e-sign plugs with the current topic your talking about. E-sign should sponsor a two minute segments for you for radio. You give a two minute hot take on a legal topic, syndicate for a national audiance.
I've felt on several occasions, that the defence team has been very poorly prepared, in terms of long times between questions while messing with papers, bad initial questions, and ineffective reply questions. I have thought several times that they look like school students doing a bad job in a mock trial! Very concerning when two ppl have been killed and another's life is on the line!
The courtroom itself is ' clunky'. Very disorganized and random people ( lawyers ,I assume ) just moving around while witnesses are testifying. Witnesses were in the courtroom watching others testify before being called. There's the tables for pros.and defense, and a small long table and the podium... just seems crowded .
@@BritBrat83 you can’t be serious? The dude is guilty af and I’ve only watched his testimony. I have a feeling you’re lying and idk why since it’s a yt comment.
@@BritBrat83 It wasn't perfect, but I personally have no doubt Murdaugh did this. I think it has become evident there is nothing Murdaugh won't do to save his own skin. Watch Waters' final argument. It's all there.
At this point, they're going to need to issue whiskey shots to the jurors to keep them from going insane. And maybe also to all the folks watching and covering this mess, too.
Well first they get all the transcripts in deliberation. Also, it's a proven fact that when you stop and take notes you miss what's currently being said so a lot of courts have no note taking rules. Once they get to jury room they will have access to all video and court reports. Besides since they weren't distracted with note taking they should have been paying close attention and probably caught onto more than we realize.. I mean, they are there live in person after all.
They aren't taking notes because most don't know how. That is why there is court reporter typing away. If the jury wants notes they simply ask the judge and the judge hands them a word for word transcript of the testimony they want. You also can't write and listen and process at the same time with accuracy.
@@reenakemp9132 no they do not get transcript’s to deliberate. Most juries get to take notes & then can ask the Judge questions for clarification during deliberations.
@DanielleS you are absolutely wrong. I've been on a jury. You can ask for whatever videos and transcribed records you want. In fact they encourage. I'm not being rude but I urge you to just google what I said. You will see for yourself. And yes it high encourage to keep your head up and watch the trial . Back in the day they took notes. There was a lot wrong with that though. I will not back down from what I said, and if you look it for yourself you will that note taking is very distracting as a juror. It's becoming far more common for no notes.
@@jamesvelvet3612 that’s rude. You think this jury doesn’t know how to take notes? This specific judge did not allow notes, I think b/c he feared something getting out, being used for later interviews or books. And they don’t get the transcript (most courts are moving to digital now like talk to text & it has to be reviewed for errors before it’s worth anything) but they usually refer to ?’s they’ve developed through their notes in deliberation and can ask the Judge to have certain things read back to them but without notes, it’s an awful lot to expect jurors to remember all the moments in a 6 week trial for double homicide.
This is interesting. I've listened to many attorneys and people and they are saying that Harpootlien did an excellent spicy cross examination and the witness did a terrible job. 🤔I like your explanation better.
Jim Griffin wasn’t much better. He made a lot of mistakes! When they started defending Alex with the boat case… he was cooked, because that allowed in all the financials!!
@@allisontison40 but there was an emotional reason Griffin wasn’t on his game. He was just way too close to the case. I would never ask my closest friend to be my defense lawyer!
It didn’t help these high profile cases have the ability to make or break careers. I think his lawyers were mad as hell that he took the stand. Lawyers love language is WIN.
I’m just here to say that the entire family is villainous and that Bruce rivers just broke down your case. Also this lighting and quality look very clear. Before it was a bit warm and this is more crisp
I enjoyed your example of what not to do, he completely lost me talkin about the hogs if I was in the jury box my mind would just shut off! It just kept getting worse, your expressions just crack me up, I enjoy your podcast so much thank you very much 👍♥️
I think the cross was a huge success: he managed to reinforce to the jury that his client is a two-faced, unreliable, double crossing conman who has cost people fortunes and doesn't seem to give a shit.
Think about that: he tried to use the fact that his client is a deceptive manipulator to the people close to him to “prove that the witness was angry.” Brilliant tactic…
Spending 20 minutes reminding the Jury of all the bad shit Alex is definitely guilty of, seems like a... novel approach when it comes to convincing them that he's not guilty of this bad thing.
cause he was doing such a good job of making a fool out of himself...the witness by being honest made alec look even worse...THEY ARE PAYING THEIR MONEY FOR ALEC'S CRIMES.
I wonder if Poot knew that Crosby would respond this way and was trying to make it look like Crosby was still mad at Alex…when the questioning was trying to attack his character and integrity. To me it was clear that Crosby was mad about the line of questioning.
THATS EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT TOO! I thought the POOT was being calculated, and got the desired effect, (the anger re $$$$$). I’m not saying it was “far-sighted” effective. I just thought POOT got what he wanted out of this poor witness
The cross was horrible but Alex was destroyed in closing statements by the prosecution today: they obviously wasted too much time and should have just driven home that he’s a liar buried beneath his own inconsistencies and he was at the scene of the murders at the time of the murders and is a consummate liar, they failed to nail him on that in cross but I believe they made up for it in closing statements and he should be found guilty
That may be the craziest thing I have ever heard. The prosecution is not even close to beyond reasonable doubt. Alex will go to jail for the rest of his life for financial crimes. There is no reason for us to break the constitution to get him for a murder charge.
Ya, very bad cross-exam by the defense. That lawyer testifying was spot on! It almost seemed to me when I watched it earlier today, I thought Harpoolian sounded almost like a prosecutor. lol Thank you from the other side.
How can you stand Emily complaining the whole time about how tired she is of the case and blah blah blah, she complains the whole time like she doesn’t want to be there. Like it’s such a chore for her. All while people are paying her super chats. That got old for me real quick.
I see you and seriously paying attention to you, then all of a sudden ,you say something like..,"there wouldn't be nothing fucken left of the bird," then you go on to your serious side, like you never said what you just said. Anyways, your down to earth and no airs about you..thank you.
I watched this cross and was scratching my head bc it was so unbelievably useless. Apparently that lawyer wasn't sure wtf he was after either. It was bizarre.
When you think about it it's a good call. They're all lawyers and have had ample time to talk to each other a million times. This wa the non lawyers are on an equal footing.
I was watching this video at work and a co-worker spotted it and asked me "Who is this?" "It's Bruce Rivers, he's a criminal lawyer". "What does he do?" He asked. "Oh, he reacts to all the self snitching," I told him.
I think it’s nice they’re giving this older gentleman an excursion from the retirement home he lives at. I’m sure it’s made him really happy these past weeks being out and about talking to people. 😂😂😂😊😅
is there a way to get the volume on ur end a tiny bit higher, off all the videos i watch through the day everyday, ur videos stand out by being the quietest, its not crazy bad but its enough where i go to other videos if the furnace turns on, idk maybe its just me, love ur stuff homie
I’ve practiced law for 17 years, and have been out of court practice for the last 4. My first reaction to Harpootlian was: oh they brought him off the golf course to try to defend this case because of his name. He has obviously been out of practice for some time now. His tussle with Attorney Crosby was painful to watch.
That old lawyer is past his prime. I'm up to Day 11 in replay of the trial so far, and that lawyer annoys me like crazy. He's fluff, disorganised, doesn't remember things, loses his track of thought & takes ages to find it again (if ever), he's out of touch of new technology which wastes everyone's time as he asks stupid questions because of his lack of understanding, etc. I think he's starting to get dementia, or else this complicated trial case is just too much for him. He's an embarrassment, and it might just cost them the case (although I think AM's crimes, amount of crimes & possibly his guilt of allegedly killing his family might lose him the case, even without this fumbling, past-it lawyer. Surely there's a stage where someone has to step in & say he can't do cases any more? Can't his licence be taken from him if he has signs of dementia? And yes, he definitely grandstands. If AM loses, could he try for an appeal, based on his lead lawyer's failing mind (but that would need a medical diagnosis, not opinion)? I felt sorry for this witness. He seemed like an absolutely lovely man. He was broken up over losing young Paul like that, who he saw as a son/nephew (& young Paul called him "Uncle Ron"). Comparing this trial to the Depp/Heard trial, wow. They had a time limit (which Heard's lead female lawyer wasted by asking everyone the same questions 101x each). Depp's team were absolutely amazing, especially compared to this old guy's fluffing around. I've watched the Depp vs Heard trial (my 1st), a bit of 1 Alex Jones' trial (yikes, i couldn't stand his voice & whining to watch any more of him), then the Christmas Parade Massacre (I've already forgotten his name) - the creep was whining & obnoxious, a real narcissist & sociopath, etc, but the judge handled that well. In fact both that judge & Depp's judge were amazing. Now I'm watching this trial. This judge is so different. He's extremely mellow (almost too mellow - especially compared with the lady judges I've seen). Yet, he's getting annoyed with this past-his-prime lawyer, the disorganisation, forgetting this, not understanding things, etc. (In fact, this lawyer is getting somewhat hard-of-hearing.) This judge isn't standing for AM's team's rubbish. I just hope that this old lawyer's failing mind isn't going to be a cause for AM to appeal, should he lose his case. Yet, buyer beware. The old guy was old before the trial started. As a collegial lawyer, shouldn't AM have known? Anyway, a verdict will be reached any day, long before I've finished catching up on this case. Nevertheless, it's interesting... in a bad way. It's so complex & multifaceted, although this trial is based on the murders, not trying his theft & other crimes. Thanks for showing your reaction to this clip. Cheers! 😁👍🇦🇺
Yeah, I am seriously shocked someone decided THIS was the lawyer to go with for such a huge, important, publicized trial. I sure hope that he was hired special (for some reason)...and not forced onto defendants who can't afford better. Every time I see clips of the trial, I am re-shocked by how old & slow & tired this man is, especially in contrast to everyone around him who talks. It's like I'm watching him decay physically & mentally in real time or something. 💀 A very sad reminder for what age does to those who survive long enough to experience being a senior. I'm glad that he's an asshole so I don't feel bad judging him lol.
I’ve watched the same trials and have similar opinions. I think the thing I’ve learned the most from this trial (which I’ve watched every day of)is how disastrous it is when normal courtroom procedures are basically ignored the entire time, and what a mess it creates as to communicating effectively with the Jury. Those procedures are there for a reason. Garbage in Garbage out. I’m not even watching today. I’ve had enough BS.
I think the old lawyer was hired because of his "position" socially or politically. Not because of his skill or talent. Old boy netwoek. And a serious mistake to do so.
I thought he helped the prosecution with this witness.The more he questioned the more he helped the other side.I was telling him to be quiet for his own good
You're absolutely true this lawyer alienated the jury more than the witness. I have testified in court as a layperson, as a Police Officer, had attorneys come at me hard, even two different judges come after me, one right after the judge finish shouting at the prosecutor to shut up then shouted at me he was going to lock me up, one who clearly did not like Police Officers during my divorce whom decided he was going to represent my soon to be ex-wife. Like this witness said is true. You have to get over anger and go on with life or have more life troubles. The most effective attorneys I witnessed are kind of non-emotional and drive the vampire stick deeper and the least words than the rest. By now you can call me anything, just not late to dinner. Great observations.
This defense attorneys was a jerk to someone else too. He also was representing Paul in the boat accident. He’s used to bullying people on the stand who probably get all screwed up emotionally and say what he wants. You would have thought that he would have been smart enough to know that an attorney would not be bullied like that.
Good morning, Bruce! Thank you for another excellent video on the Murdaugh case, it is now linked to the Daily Trial thread on the MurdaughFamilyMurders subreddit. Beautiful tie! ❤
Oh my goddess I’m so happy you’re covering this case!! I have been dying for your input on this defense team!!! P.S - I got so pissed at Poot I wrote in someone’s chat “has anybody told him to stop self snitching!?”Always giving you credit! Thanks for all you do!!! So much love! so glad to see you!!
Hey Bruce, great video. This coss is just awful. It's so dumb to attack the witness like this. Side note, can you turn your audio up a little? I struggle to hear you guys even with my audio maxed out when I'm driving or in any moderately loud environment.
In reviewing defense attorney patterns, he appears to project his time consuming techniques onto prosecutor, accusing prosecutor for using too much time, when in fact the defense SLOWLY SUCKS the AIR OUT OF THE ROOM with his faulty bullying tactics.
Awesome tie, Bruce. Defense did not have to prove anything and since SLED's investigation was SNAFU from the get go and prosecution had neither could not prove motive and peacocked around the cross of Alec, defense should have soft peddled its way to victory. He definitely blew it here.
"Mis-remembering" is very different to intentionally lying! This cross was so frustrating to watch because the Defence was so doddery and waffling. The minute he started shouting I could imagine the Jury shutting down.
I thought ol Poot might have had a stroke and was just babbling. He struggled and stumbled. It was like a wide scatter shot. You might actually hit something. Poot tried to rattle Crosby and he failed. Poot is a jerk.
He’s kind of a moron. No surprise that this guy is or was a state senator in South Carolina. He’s supposed to be one of the best firms? If that’s the best, I feel sorry for SC. He’s an embarrassment to attorneys there.
I'm from SC and have actually been in the defense atty's office as a court reporter. He's been practicing law forever and this is what he does. And it probably pissed off some of the jurors, but I think it's how he has always practiced.
This witness was devastating to the defense by quite obviously being everything that Alex was not in terms of character. He has my deepest admiration.
Ooooh well said!
These are Lindsey Graham RINOS. The most corrupt on the planet. You were fooled
Precisely 👏👏
This testimony was the most memorable to me out of the entire trial. This defense attorney is an ignorant a$$.
The witness was extremely credible.
yeah and sympathy. Alex wants a retrial! Once wasn't painful enough.
This was a very difficult cross to watch. The attorney on the stand has been through hell because of AM. He is answering honestly despite the defense trying to annihilate his character. He has maintained his dignity and honor that comes with the original friendship that has now been destroyed. Shame on the defense attorney, very disturbing behavior.
@Lisa Field I agree & well said🙏❤️
You think AM was the only one stealing and that this guy didn't realise in all these years that money was disappearing without knowledge or being complicit?
If so then I have a very nice bridge for sale.
And for thinking, he relies on false deities.
It sounds like your describing a friendship breaking down, which is completely irrelevant. These people are trying to demonstrate that someone is a killer. What the hell did you think was going to happen to his character on the stand?
@@drdeesnutts48 lol for real. Financial crimes always take more than one complicit party. They were all complicit. Explains why the CFO who’s job it is to account for all the money yet didn’t notice million dollar discrepancies over the years still has a job.
Poot asks silly questions to muddle our heads. He pretends he doesnt know ...but its purposeful. His rude attitude was dealt with brilliantly by the witness while keeping his values. Well done Sir
If you think Poot is rude, you need to see some of the top East Coast Federal criminal attorneys conduct a cross examination. Poot is a gentleman in comparison and it’s not even close. See Jeffrey Lichtman or Bruce Cutler.
agree
I think he acts like a bumbling fool to win over the jury but he ain't no columbo ..lol
@@LadyLuck13 agree 😂
Poot is the worst name on the planet .
I really liked Mr. Crosby. He's a reasonable man with a good temperament. The cross just made me sad. Alex was blessed with so many friends, and he betrayed every one of them.
Yes, I liked attorney Crosby, also. He seemed very sincere and ethical. I googled Dick Harpootlian, Alex’s defense, he is not a nice person. He’s a democratic state senator and on Google I read comments he had made in the senate, he’s so arrogant and rude.
He betrayed and killed his own family. Who is Alec??? No one knows????
So many very good friends much more than he deserves , he has ruined people’s lives an many will never trust anyone again
Such a horrible vile human
That's what I kept thinking too. Friends and family! Everyone that rallied around him. In a way, they watched the death of the person they knew or they had to realize that they never knew him.
@@hildagalvez9101 ALEC Exposed
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This man he was cross examining is a TRUE MAN! If I need a lawyer I’m going to this South Carolina lawyer . He has integrity and forgiveness in his heart.
He was also probably stealing money lol alex was the fall guy for the firm. They were all stealing money
@deebus so the guy who personally loaned back the firm 400k to pay for Alec's thievery also stole from the firm ?
@@TherealJimDunsworth yes. As soon as alex took it too far the deal was up and they all couldn’t do it anymore. There’s absolutely no reason you can convince me they all weren’t doing this to some degree but the accountant lady for 25 years just missed this for over a decade and still has a job afterwards. she knew to look the other way
Murdaugh's attorney presented a vivid example of why lawyers get a bad name. He bullied the wrong guy. Perhaps, it's because Murdaugh's partner showed sensitivity and empathy. I would hire the witness attorney in a heartbeat. He showed honor and grace. 'Poot' needs to retire.
@@Deebus This. It’s pretty naive to think otherwise
What a great witness. Imagine what he has gone through before and after the murders. Very credible. Respect.
I'm a nobody 62yr. old woman that knows nothing about law but I can SWEAR I would NEVER hire this Defense Attorney.He wants to do things still the way he did in the 50s
He's also, frighteningly, a State Senator.
@@signalfire6691 Bought and paid for!
@@signalfire6691Even worse, he's a Democrat.
You couldn't afford him..
I see him as a "great dragon" in KKK he always gives me that vibe.
I literally busted out laughing when Bruce said he'd object to his own question.
That happens all the time. I’ve seen cases where the attorney objects to his own question 5 times in a row and then goes on to win the case. They’re really objecting to the answer, not the question.
Booo
@Street Racer I doubt that it's happen all the time. Objecting to witnesses' answers is not the same as objecting to own question.
I've read a couple of studies that say that most people who go through a trauma, their memories are cemented and that's the part of ptsd that's so hard to overcome. They can't forget
Especially small details.
True. From experience. But studies have indeed shown that traumatic memory is more reliable than ordinary memory.
But memories are kind of additive and change each time we remember something as we incorporate different things we've come up with, particularly with respect to the atmosphere or feeling surrounding the memory. This is a problem in PTSD as each time one remember something, the person adds an anticipated layer of terror that then becomes part of the memory. One PTSD treatment is to give the PTSD sufferer medication to block the fight or flight response then having them remember the traumatic event. As they do, the memory starts to change and stops loaded on the fear and anxiety. Thus the person changes they effect of the memory, by changing the memory itself.
I might be abnormal but I have a very vivid exact memory of parts of a traumatic event but there were other parts of the event that I have absolutely no recollection of whatsoever, not even a foggy memory- just no memory. After the event, my working memory in day to day life was never the same again. So, I think it’s different for everybody. IDK.
That said, Alex Murdaugh is guilt AF.
I have relived the moment I found out my brother had been killed to the detail. I was 12 years old, and it has been 40 years - and I still vividly recall and have relived it many times.
This cross was so transparent and ridiculous. Ronnie handled it like a gentleman and firmed my position even more: guilty.
A real gentleman imho
It is true. It was a horrible cross, very cringy. He messed with the wrong one and I think he lost the jury too.. he looked straight like a bully. Especially after the cross with the medical examiner!!!
I thought he was so rude and disrespectful to her each time he cross examined her.
@@ACandRS He was, and he made himself and his side hard to like.
true!
poot is an old rich man, that seems to be misogynistic towards women.. he reminds me of my old relatives.. sometimes he just comes off like women and children should be quiet, brown and black ppl should not talk back... etc etc etc
He was rude to Blanca aswell in my opinion and it stuck out to me when he said 'we haven't met before have we' and she replied that she met him at the funeral. He probably didn't bother to pay any attention.
I think that witness used to be Alex’s best friend. It must be very difficult getting through it all and wondering/believing more and more your friend killed his wife and son.
I actually liked this lawyer on the stand. I think he did a good job. Showed contempt and disdain for the defence lawyer, which he deserved.
That’s exactly what Harpootlian wanted! He was trying to act like he’s not still angry at AM which is obviously a laughable absurdity, as Dick extracted from him on the stand. He brought that anger back out to show precisely that this guy is biased against AM. That’s exactly what Dick wanted to happen. It was pretty masterful. And then he even asked the guy “do you think he did it?” And the guy didn’t even say yes! That’s huge.
@@OliviaNile You might not understand this, but when you are a person of integrity and your integrity is questioned, you can get very angry. This does not under any circumstances proof anything except that this witness is offended that Poot is implying that he is committing perjury.
@@OliviaNile He did well not to answer if he had answered yes he would imply that he is still angry and his testimony biased to having a guilty verdict. That question was uncalled for and the lawyer on the stand did a good job in my opinion.
@@OliviaNile he was angry at Harpootlian for attacking his character and honesty. I’d be pissed to. This happened 2 years ago. Anyone w/ half a brain & sense of self preservation would find a way to cope with it and move forward. Families of murder victim have taken the stand or made statements at sentencing that they forgive the person who killed their family member because holding on to the anger just hurts them. None of his testimony was refuted on cross. This animosity you talk about doesn’t seem to have actually have resulted in him lying. You can have animosity towards someone & not need to lie about them. He would have every right to be angry with AM b/c of everything he’s put them all through but he seems to have moved on which is life. Can you point out anything he’s lied about.
@@OliviaNile what difference would it make if he was angry at Alex? All that matters is that he comes off as credible to the jury and not someone willing to perjure themselves because if he is. Which he did. Harpo stepped on his own dick here.
14:48 Bless this Gentleman on stand.😟 Such a sweetheart! The bigger man by far! Lured to the crime scene along with many others by Alex to the to contaminate it unknowingly to him.
Thank you for covering this case!
Omg Poot was a piece of work on cross, made himself look like a bully! “Do you think he did it?” OMG are you kidding me?!?
Side bar- This has been the trial that NEVER ENDS! I thought the state did a good job in their closing today...
Agree - post is ridiculous
Pootie Poot is poothead 😅
Agree. Creighton Waters did a great job.
Go watch FITSNEWS TH-cam Channel when they talk to Lindsey Edwards and see what AM was really spending all his money on
The question either establishes a revenge motive for testifying (Yes!) or that he's hiding his motivation (No! or I don't know!) It makes him look like a liar, especially since he got him to show just hope angry he was, how much he hated AM.
“Why the F&*% would you ask that?” I LOVE BRUCE! I screamed out the very same thing! Sheesh.
It's like he had a plan at the start but when the witness answered in a way he didn't like, he kept trying to change it so that he would get a specific answer to a question he couldn't articulate properly. He then spent the next few minutes running around the car lot randomly because he couldn't decide which car to chase (which is sad because they were all parked).
Great analogy! I love it!
Like Elaine with Isaac Baruch!
@@HomeGypsy From now on, whenever you see someone doing something that makes no sense and which is a complete waste of time, you will think "yes, they are chasing parked cars all right"
@@johnbowersox738 Thank you! That currently describes my “health care team” and I didn’t know I needed a funny analogy for it!
@@HomeGypsy The thing about this analogy is that it is pretty universal. We all run into people who do things like this all the time. At least now you will be able to laugh a little when you see it in the future (even though you are frustrated). Glad that I could help.
I agree with every point you made. And no, if I was the prosecutor in this case, I would NOT have objected. I would have sat there chortling in my joy as I watched defense counsel reaching for the toilet handle and flushing himself down the bowl.
When your opponent is making mistakes, get out of their way!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for addressing this pas de deus. I thought Poot was either 1.) so brilliant that the rest of us mere mortals were unable to appreciate his genius, or 2.) Poot is certifiably beyond his “best by” date.
I am going with 2 😂
Omg yes 😂
*Le* petit oiseau
*Pas de deux
Or:
3. He's an idiot.
@@Nonameforyoudangit Thank you! It’s that pesky auto spell!
Thank you so much for addressing this! This had to be a huge red flag for the jury.
Seems like the lawyer misread the witness. He was trying to imply that the witness was making shit up to get back at the defendant. Except the Witness has too much credibility/integrity for that to work, and it rebounds on the defendant.
Sounds like he needs to retire 😊
Not every attorney graduates at the top of his class. This - was a prime example!
Yuuup
You must not know about Harpootilian then
@@miguelmartinez09234 We do now.
‘ol Poot could do nothing, but pout. His style of defending didn’t help Murdaugh one bit. He came across as callous and uncaring in his description of Paul’s brains being blown out of his head, pointed the gun at everyone, was constantly on his phone at the defense table, and made a full of himself while trying to bully witnesses.
Time to retire.
Alex’s own lawyer is loudly announcing to the jury what a lowdown, lying snake his client is, this is hilarious
Ronnie Crosby and Mark Ball were both excellent witnesses. They have been through hell bc of Alex. A man they trusted, worked with, and had a close relationship described as a brotherhood for decades. This entire situation has been devastating to them; the betrayal and deceit, and losing 2 people they loved. Even if they do hold some anger, which is definitely valid and human, it’s still horrific for them to be on the stand, and in no way is their testimony out of anger or vindictiveness. Poots insinuation that Crosbys testimony is biased, and he’s only up there because Alex stole from him was way out of line. These men actually have integrity, and take great heed to the oaths theyve taken as attorneys and as witnesses. Just listening to them testify broke my heart, and I simply cannot fathom how broken theirs are. Poot, the guy who is “honored” to represent Alex needs to do some self reflection.
Nicely said.
Narcissists are incapable of self reflection!! They are always right and it's always someone else's fault!!
@Lauren R well said & I agree w/u 🙏❤️💔😪
That’s the whole point… obviously your bias because you have already made up your mind he’s guilty. So the defense is trying to show the jury that this guy who was robbed of money, his firm, etc. is of course bias and probably even hostile towards that person, and therefore provide the prosecution anything they need to help their case
Excellent comment. IMO, Ronnie Crosby was a very sympathetic witness. He spoke at Paul's funeral. The fact that Poot tried to paint him as some sort of revenge seeking guy ended up being a total fiasco.
I have a handful of lawyers that I watch on TH-cam related to Kohberger and Murdaugh. I really appreciate your honest and plain-talking perspective. It’s refreshing.
This witness gave a very clear answer to the questions about how he felt about the betrayal of Alec and the embezzlement. His voice was strong and his words unambiguous, so trying to push him to say he was still angry and therefore biased was stupid. It was ego motivating him to believe that he could best another lawyer.
Haha. I think the tone and words of the witness didn't match up at all. And once he was enraged he started contradicting himself: he hadn't forgiven Alex for stealing millions from a bunch of already victimized people and betrayed his trust, he doesn't know whether or not he murdered his wife and son, but he has no kind of emotion towards that person? Pfft.
@@bajjanitor smh...I cannot ppl some ppl(you) thought process .
@@packers12to80 k
@@bajjanitor is anger the only form of emotion you can feel?
@@bajjanitor GUILTY FOOL
2:54 Thank you for explaining the difference between cross vs direct examination. When in cross examination this attorney is grand standing and making statements, followed by: "Didn't you?" He comes across as hostile.
As a former jury fore'woman in a trial, I witnessed this style of cross examinations and every person on the entire jury mentioned this in deliberations. In the case I was in; the lawyer was so long winded and looking for a "zinger" it really made us dislike the lawyer all together, unfortunately. The states prosecution against the defendant in my case resulted in a not guilty verdict. The case pertained to grand theft of large machinery in the amount of over 20k. The defendant was a free man just in time for Easter Sunday. The state also illegally harassed and followed the defendant by placing tracers on multiple vehicles without warrants (which included vehicles of witnesses for the defense), this was proven in court by the defense attorney with evidence. The case took place in Minnesota. 😬 Really made me think differently about the state of MN prosecutors office differently.
17:27 "This guy is sympathetic as [heck], and he's been through [heck], both financially and when he went to the scene."
And when he was attacked by the defense attorney for testifying to the truth.
I wonder why you write heck? Isn’t it allowed to write ‘hell’?
@@elsedutch4972YT may strike ya
@@CatalinaFOIA really? But ty I didn’t know that. Is Hell a curse or what?
@@elsedutch4972 TH-cam has become very 'PG' over the past few years. I didn't want my comment to get automatically deleted, by TH-cam.
Could the problem be that Alex was so used to the good old boy Network and relationships with influential people getting him off of things that he chose a lawyer who had great connections instead of a lawyer who was great at trying criminal cases?
The Judge during sentencing talked about knowing Alex beforehand and working in the same courthouse at times, so I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case.
that is the ONLY explaination
So whats this guys record, Do you know?
@@robertflippin9112these are the same lawyers at the firm murdaugh stole money from
I think thats exactly what he did, he thought his attorney/s would get him off based on who he is and his reputation in the "good ole boy" system.
The attorney doing the stupid torturous line of questioning has connections to Joe Biden.
The problem for Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin is they are used to fighting with the opposition having their arms tied behind their backs and blindfolded.
They have never had to work hard, because their work has largely been successful based on their position of power, based on who they are, who they know, and that whole system of good ol’ boy relationships. And all their prior court cases and negotiations have taken place in the dark.
But now the sunlight is shining down on everything they are doing-they are not used to that-and they did not get the judge they thought they had arranged to get. Judge Clifton Newman is not going to give them what they want just because of who they are or who their client is. And I would argue this is the first case EVER they’ve had to try under these circumstances. And their client was also sure that he was going to get bail, he wasn’t even thinking he’d be charged or that his story would be questioned at all. And that’s why Dick, Jim and Alex are really , REALLY struggling.
Exactly!!!
Isn't it interesting that by coincidence the judges son died right before trial?!? Maybe someone thought he would have excused himself - but he didn't!!
Good analysis. Judge Newman is an awesome fair judge with integrity. I'm so impressed.
This is shedding a lot of light on the corruption in this profession.
I think you nailed it.
Agree agree
BEAUTIFUL insight.. Thank you
Poot loves the sound of his voice and his fee. He is just as arrogant as Alex. This is a match made in Heaven.
I love it when you tie your e-sign plugs with the current topic your talking about. E-sign should sponsor a two minute segments for you for radio. You give a two minute hot take on a legal topic, syndicate for a national audiance.
Agreed. I always skip the sponsors’ ad part except with Bruce because his ads are so funny. And relevant.
I've felt on several occasions, that the defence team has been very poorly prepared, in terms of long times between questions while messing with papers, bad initial questions, and ineffective reply questions. I have thought several times that they look like school students doing a bad job in a mock trial! Very concerning when two ppl have been killed and another's life is on the line!
What in hog heaven was this man thinking? This trial was so clunky. I hope the jury can wade through this guy's pond of muddy questioning.
The courtroom itself is ' clunky'. Very disorganized and random people ( lawyers ,I assume ) just moving around while witnesses are testifying. Witnesses were in the courtroom watching others testify before being called. There's the tables for pros.and defense, and a small long table and the podium... just seems crowded .
Love the hawg heaven.
It was mediocre at best on both sides. I've watched all the testimony and still not sure he actually pulled the trigger. 🤷
@@BritBrat83 you can’t be serious? The dude is guilty af and I’ve only watched his testimony. I have a feeling you’re lying and idk why since it’s a yt comment.
@@BritBrat83 It wasn't perfect, but I personally have no doubt Murdaugh did this. I think it has become evident there is nothing Murdaugh won't do to save his own skin. Watch Waters' final argument. It's all there.
This was infuriating! He really made this witness look good!
At this point, they're going to need to issue whiskey shots to the jurors to keep them from going insane. And maybe also to all the folks watching and covering this mess, too.
Oh hell yeah. It is enough to drive a juror to drink. Cheers.🥃🥃🍸🍸
Let's make this trial a drinking game. What are the rules?
I feel like we live here in this trial now. I know it's a double murder charge. But, damn I'm glad it's over.
@@ScottLovenbergEvery time Alex says "you know" down a shot of something strong. You'll be wasted in 10 minutes.
@@mwalker3547 🤣👍
This should be used as teaching tool, what not to do on cross examination! Thank you! ❤️
I’m so happy you did an episode on this!! Poot blew his too!!Ronnie did great!
Mr Rivers, none of the witnesses were sequestered. And it has added to the circus this trial has become. Thank you for the coverage.
How could the jury possibly remember over 70 witnesses when they can’t take notes?
Well first they get all the transcripts in deliberation. Also, it's a proven fact that when you stop and take notes you miss what's currently being said so a lot of courts have no note taking rules. Once they get to jury room they will have access to all video and court reports. Besides since they weren't distracted with note taking they should have been paying close attention and probably caught onto more than we realize.. I mean, they are there live in person after all.
They aren't taking notes because most don't know how. That is why there is court reporter typing away. If the jury wants notes they simply ask the judge and the judge hands them a word for word transcript of the testimony they want. You also can't write and listen and process at the same time with accuracy.
@@reenakemp9132 no they do not get transcript’s to deliberate. Most juries get to take notes & then can ask the Judge questions for clarification during deliberations.
@DanielleS you are absolutely wrong. I've been on a jury. You can ask for whatever videos and transcribed records you want. In fact they encourage. I'm not being rude but I urge you to just google what I said. You will see for yourself. And yes it high encourage to keep your head up and watch the trial . Back in the day they took notes. There was a lot wrong with that though. I will not back down from what I said, and if you look it for yourself you will that note taking is very distracting as a juror. It's becoming far more common for no notes.
@@jamesvelvet3612 that’s rude. You think this jury doesn’t know how to take notes? This specific judge did not allow notes, I think b/c he feared something getting out, being used for later interviews or books. And they don’t get the transcript (most courts are moving to digital now like talk to text & it has to be reviewed for errors before it’s worth anything) but they usually refer to ?’s they’ve developed through their notes in deliberation and can ask the Judge to have certain things read back to them but without notes, it’s an awful lot to expect jurors to remember all the moments in a 6 week trial for double homicide.
This is interesting. I've listened to many attorneys and people and they are saying that Harpootlien did an excellent spicy cross examination and the witness did a terrible job. 🤔I like your explanation better.
The defense attorney was GASLIGHTING
OMG Bruce is so funny. "There would be nothing left of the f****ing bird". Laughing my butt off.
😂😂😂
I laughed out loud when he said that LOL
I love how this trial highlighted how bad of a lawyer Dick Harpootlian really is!!!
Jim Griffin wasn’t much better. He made a lot of mistakes! When they started defending Alex with the boat case… he was cooked, because that allowed in all the financials!!
He supposedly was recognized as one of the top defense lawyers in SC during his prime. Keyword: _supposedly_
It also shows why government needs term limits...The lawyer you are talking about is a S Carolina state senator
@@allisontison40 but there was an emotional reason Griffin wasn’t on his game. He was just way too close to the case. I would never ask my closest friend to be my defense lawyer!
It didn’t help these high profile cases have the ability to make or break careers. I think his lawyers were mad as hell that he took the stand. Lawyers love language is WIN.
"You don't plant them in the same spot". I love it. I love the partner. This is amazing Bruce.
I’m just here to say that the entire family is villainous and that Bruce rivers just broke down your case. Also this lighting and quality look very clear. Before it was a bit warm and this is more crisp
The sound is better too
I love Bruce Rivers!! So accurate and precise with excellent legal advice!
Poot is unhinged and has acted an entire fool this whole trial. It is embarrassing
His name is hed dick harpoontanglian! Stop making stuff up with the names and all.
I think he is the smartest atty on there... Very Cunning.
I enjoy watching him.
Absolutely
Absolutely irritating and just STUPID.He is a joke!
You gotta have less brain cells than Paul after June 7th to agree that Poot is a terrible lawyer. He’s been hands down the best in the entire trial
I enjoyed your example of what not to do, he completely lost me talkin about the hogs if I was in the jury box my mind would just shut off! It just kept getting worse, your expressions just crack me up, I enjoy your podcast so much thank you very much 👍♥️
Hogs ruin property so badly in the south that people will always listen when anyone is talking about a way to get rid of them.
It made me go off on a mental path wondering about hogs. Wild hogs? Escaped domestic pigs? What hogs?
I think the cross was a huge success: he managed to reinforce to the jury that his client is a two-faced, unreliable, double crossing conman who has cost people fortunes and doesn't seem to give a shit.
Think about that: he tried to use the fact that his client is a deceptive manipulator to the people close to him to “prove that the witness was angry.”
Brilliant tactic…
Conman yes murderer No big difference
Spending 20 minutes reminding the Jury of all the bad shit Alex is definitely guilty of, seems like a... novel approach when it comes to convincing them that he's not guilty of this bad thing.
😂🤣🤣 hilarious yet true everything everyone is saying I'm this comment section.👍
Did the prosecution not object because they felt perhaps Poot was making a fool of himself fumbling the cross examination?
Yes. This prosecution has consistently let people self snitch. Waters let Murdaugh take all the rope he wanted to hang himself during cross.
cause he was doing such a good job of making a fool out of himself...the witness by being honest made alec look even worse...THEY ARE PAYING THEIR MONEY FOR ALEC'S CRIMES.
I wonder if Poot knew that Crosby would respond this way and was trying to make it look like Crosby was still mad at Alex…when the questioning was trying to attack his character and integrity. To me it was clear that Crosby was mad about the line of questioning.
THATS EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT TOO! I thought the POOT was being calculated, and got the desired effect, (the anger re $$$$$). I’m not saying it was “far-sighted” effective. I just thought POOT got what he wanted out of this poor witness
Mr Crosbys ratings for his firm will now go sky high- A Lawyer with emence integrity and compassion- Thx Poot.
ahahaha i love Bruce's reaction when the lawyer asks "do you think he did it?" 😂 hearing that myself i think my jaw dropped 😂
I felt Poot gave the jury to see how a man reacts when he's unjustly accused. Something they hadn't seen, especially when Murdaugh was on the stand.
I agree with you
Doing catch-up, Ronnie's anguish when he spoke about Maggie and Paul is soul-crushing.
The cross was horrible but Alex was destroyed in closing statements by the prosecution today: they obviously wasted too much time and should have just driven home that he’s a liar buried beneath his own inconsistencies and he was at the scene of the murders at the time of the murders and is a consummate liar, they failed to nail him on that in cross but I believe they made up for it in closing statements and he should be found guilty
The prosecution sold me in the closing arguments today. It made up for some weak days. Murdaugh should just confess. He is cooked.
Prosecution closing arguments was great. SLED handed the prosecution a bungled case, but Creighton Waters turned it into a strong prosecution.
I worry that the state burned out the jury to the point that the closing statements may not have packed the punch that they hoped for.
That may be the craziest thing I have ever heard. The prosecution is not even close to beyond reasonable doubt. Alex will go to jail for the rest of his life for financial crimes. There is no reason for us to break the constitution to get him for a murder charge.
Well, you gotta admit sled dropped the ball. Defense could compare the two.
Ya, very bad cross-exam by the defense. That lawyer testifying was spot on! It almost seemed to me when I watched it earlier today, I thought Harpoolian sounded almost like a prosecutor. lol Thank you from the other side.
I watch the trial on the law nerd with Emily and then I wait for your reactions for the jokes. Love it!
Emily D Baker is awesome. What a combo! 😁
How can you stand Emily complaining the whole time about how tired she is of the case and blah blah blah, she complains the whole time like she doesn’t want to be there. Like it’s such a chore for her. All while people are paying her super chats. That got old for me real quick.
Man… if Emily and Bruce weren’t killing their selves to relay this trial to us, I swear we’d be in a whole mess ourselves lol
@@Ashley__Rose to be fair the trial has gone on longer than expected
Same💜
If I was a juror in a 5 week trial there would be nothing more infuriating than a lawyer wasting my time with ridiculous questions.
I see you and seriously paying attention to you, then all of a sudden ,you say something like..,"there wouldn't be nothing fucken left of the bird," then you go on to your serious side, like you never said what you just said. Anyways, your down to earth and no airs about you..thank you.
😂😂😂😂😅😅😅 Yuup bird heaven
😂
I love your no nonsense comments! 👍🏻👍🏻
My favorite TH-cam channel!!!! Thank you for such great analysis and content 😊
I’m so glad I’m not the only one that thinks that this cross examination went off the rails lol
I watched this cross and was scratching my head bc it was so unbelievably useless. Apparently that lawyer wasn't sure wtf he was after either. It was bizarre.
This dude turned the opponent's witness into a martyr with that 'are you angry' bit
The witnesses in this case are not sequestered they are allowed to set there and watch . And jury can't take notes either
When you think about it it's a good call. They're all lawyers and have had ample time to talk to each other a million times. This wa the non lawyers are on an equal footing.
I was watching this video at work and a co-worker spotted it and asked me
"Who is this?"
"It's Bruce Rivers, he's a criminal lawyer".
"What does he do?" He asked.
"Oh, he reacts to all the self snitching," I told him.
I Been thinking the whole time. you know things are bad when it’s hard to tell wether the prosecution or defense is asking questions lol
I think it’s nice they’re giving this older gentleman an excursion from the retirement home he lives at. I’m sure it’s made him really happy these past weeks being out and about talking to people. 😂😂😂😊😅
😊
Hahahaha ! An the old folks at the home wer happy to have a break from Poot Poot
Can you believe he is a state senator 🙄
@@JessicaParrish22 no I can’t he is a dotterin
Old fool
is there a way to get the volume on ur end a tiny bit higher, off all the videos i watch through the day everyday, ur videos stand out by being the quietest, its not crazy bad but its enough where i go to other videos if the furnace turns on, idk maybe its just me, love ur stuff homie
Thanks, I enjoyed your video and your professional opinion.
Watching from Hammond Louisiana.
Btw these witnesses were allowed to listen to each other's testimony. They weren't sequestered which is so weird.
I’ve practiced law for 17 years, and have been out of court practice for the last 4. My first reaction to Harpootlian was: oh they brought him off the golf course to try to defend this case because of his name.
He has obviously been out of practice for some time now. His tussle with Attorney Crosby was painful to watch.
That old lawyer is past his prime. I'm up to Day 11 in replay of the trial so far, and that lawyer annoys me like crazy. He's fluff, disorganised, doesn't remember things, loses his track of thought & takes ages to find it again (if ever), he's out of touch of new technology which wastes everyone's time as he asks stupid questions because of his lack of understanding, etc. I think he's starting to get dementia, or else this complicated trial case is just too much for him. He's an embarrassment, and it might just cost them the case (although I think AM's crimes, amount of crimes & possibly his guilt of allegedly killing his family might lose him the case, even without this fumbling, past-it lawyer. Surely there's a stage where someone has to step in & say he can't do cases any more? Can't his licence be taken from him if he has signs of dementia? And yes, he definitely grandstands. If AM loses, could he try for an appeal, based on his lead lawyer's failing mind (but that would need a medical diagnosis, not opinion)? I felt sorry for this witness. He seemed like an absolutely lovely man. He was broken up over losing young Paul like that, who he saw as a son/nephew (& young Paul called him "Uncle Ron").
Comparing this trial to the Depp/Heard trial, wow. They had a time limit (which Heard's lead female lawyer wasted by asking everyone the same questions 101x each). Depp's team were absolutely amazing, especially compared to this old guy's fluffing around.
I've watched the Depp vs Heard trial (my 1st), a bit of 1 Alex Jones' trial (yikes, i couldn't stand his voice & whining to watch any more of him), then the Christmas Parade Massacre (I've already forgotten his name) - the creep was whining & obnoxious, a real narcissist & sociopath, etc, but the judge handled that well. In fact both that judge & Depp's judge were amazing.
Now I'm watching this trial. This judge is so different. He's extremely mellow (almost too mellow - especially compared with the lady judges I've seen). Yet, he's getting annoyed with this past-his-prime lawyer, the disorganisation, forgetting this, not understanding things, etc. (In fact, this lawyer is getting somewhat hard-of-hearing.) This judge isn't standing for AM's team's rubbish.
I just hope that this old lawyer's failing mind isn't going to be a cause for AM to appeal, should he lose his case. Yet, buyer beware. The old guy was old before the trial started. As a collegial lawyer, shouldn't AM have known?
Anyway, a verdict will be reached any day, long before I've finished catching up on this case. Nevertheless, it's interesting... in a bad way. It's so complex & multifaceted, although this trial is based on the murders, not trying his theft & other crimes.
Thanks for showing your reaction to this clip.
Cheers! 😁👍🇦🇺
Great comment!
Yeah, I am seriously shocked someone decided THIS was the lawyer to go with for such a huge, important, publicized trial.
I sure hope that he was hired special (for some reason)...and not forced onto defendants who can't afford better.
Every time I see clips of the trial, I am re-shocked by how old & slow & tired this man is, especially in contrast to everyone around him who talks. It's like I'm watching him decay physically & mentally in real time or something. 💀
A very sad reminder for what age does to those who survive long enough to experience being a senior.
I'm glad that he's an asshole so I don't feel bad judging him lol.
I’ve watched the same trials and have similar opinions. I think the thing I’ve learned the most from this trial (which I’ve watched every day of)is how disastrous it is when normal courtroom procedures are basically ignored the entire time, and what a mess it creates as to communicating effectively with the Jury. Those procedures are there for a reason. Garbage in Garbage out. I’m not even watching today. I’ve had enough BS.
I think the old lawyer was hired because of his "position" socially or politically. Not because of his skill or talent. Old boy netwoek. And a serious mistake to do so.
I love your knowledgeable, no-bs commentary Bruce Rivers
I thought he helped the prosecution with this witness.The more he questioned the more he helped the other side.I was telling him to be quiet for his own good
Alex probably said "Hey thanks Dick, that was great" sarcastically.
@@flyoverurbangarden4315 Alex was like "Dude, I murdered two people and even I thought you were a bully."
You're absolutely true this lawyer alienated the jury more than the witness. I have testified in court as a layperson, as a Police Officer, had attorneys come at me hard, even two different judges come after me, one right after the judge finish shouting at the prosecutor to shut up then shouted at me he was going to lock me up, one who clearly did not like Police Officers during my divorce whom decided he was going to represent my soon to be ex-wife. Like this witness said is true. You have to get over anger and go on with life or have more life troubles. The most effective attorneys I witnessed are kind of non-emotional and drive the vampire stick deeper and the least words than the rest. By now you can call me anything, just not late to dinner. Great observations.
None of the witnesses were sequestered. It’s insane how they do things there in SC.
They seem to do things different down there in "them swampy low country" areas for sure!
I wish I could afford Bruce. Even for a traffic ticket just to have him walk in with me. RESPECT Bruce ✊✊✊🔥
This defense attorneys was a jerk to someone else too. He also was representing Paul in the boat accident. He’s used to bullying people on the stand who probably get all screwed up emotionally and say what he wants. You would have thought that he would have been smart enough to know that an attorney would not be bullied like that.
Poot said he couldn't look beyond that ( stolen money) yet, at the beginning of this trial he stated that it is an HONOR to represent his client. 😳
“Poot” this made me laugh out loud - as did his attempts at being an effective defense attorney. 😂
Chomping at the bit to hear Bruce's take on closing arguments today!!! And what the heck with the juror that talked to someone?
Same here. Should be interesting
Anyone else leave Bruce Rivers on before bed like ASMR?
Yessss 🤣
Good morning, Bruce! Thank you for another excellent video on the Murdaugh case, it is now linked to the Daily Trial thread on the MurdaughFamilyMurders subreddit. Beautiful tie! ❤
Favorite observation: "It's about to get heated. And it's gonna be stupid." 😂 😂 😂
Oh my goddess I’m so happy you’re covering this case!! I have been dying for your input on this defense team!!! P.S - I got so pissed at Poot I wrote in someone’s chat “has anybody told him to stop self snitching!?”Always giving you credit! Thanks for all you do!!! So much love! so glad to see you!!
Hey Bruce, great video. This coss is just awful. It's so dumb to attack the witness like this.
Side note, can you turn your audio up a little? I struggle to hear you guys even with my audio maxed out when I'm driving or in any moderately loud environment.
In reviewing defense attorney patterns, he appears to project his time consuming techniques onto prosecutor, accusing prosecutor for using too much time, when in fact the defense SLOWLY SUCKS the AIR OUT OF THE ROOM with his faulty bullying tactics.
This is why Poot is not doing the defense closing argument. I’ll bet for sure he was going to originally.
LMAO this lawyer made the cross look like a sketch from SNL. I mean, he was totally lost and grasping.
Awesome tie, Bruce. Defense did not have to prove anything and since SLED's investigation was SNAFU from the get go and prosecution had neither could not prove motive and peacocked around the cross of Alec, defense should have soft peddled its way to victory. He definitely blew it here.
"Mis-remembering" is very different to intentionally lying! This cross was so frustrating to watch because the Defence was so doddery and waffling. The minute he started shouting I could imagine the Jury shutting down.
You are my favorite lawyer to watch!
Same ..I recently found this channel and have told anyone interested in current cases to tune in
The only lawyer I’ll watch on TH-cam honestly
That defense attorney is a poster child for all sleazy lawyers. Horrible man.
Harpo is a worn out politician waiting for Biden to offer him an appointment.
Watching this again with your context is great. I liked this guy as a witness for the state and he probably did more damage on cross for defense.
“When your ego gets in the way of being a lawyer, you can make mistakes.” 💯
I thought ol Poot might have had a stroke and was just babbling. He struggled and stumbled. It was like a wide scatter shot. You might actually hit something. Poot tried to rattle Crosby and he failed. Poot is a jerk.
He’s kind of a moron. No surprise that this guy is or was a state senator in South Carolina. He’s supposed to be one of the best firms? If that’s the best, I feel sorry for SC. He’s an embarrassment to attorneys there.
I'm from SC and have actually been in the defense atty's office as a court reporter. He's been practicing law forever and this is what he does. And it probably pissed off some of the jurors, but I think it's how he has always practiced.