SLANDER! Guest Entry by Dr. C. Carroll Adams, Ph. D.

Update 2
Late breaking news from the courtroom that was observed by Dr. Adams. Sprocket

CCA here. I got delayed leaving the courtroom and Sprocket had dashed, so it is possible she missed the loud confrontation.

On the far side of the hall, just toward the elevators from Dept 108, LA Times senior reporter John Spano was seated on a bench next to Beth Karas, with LA Times reporter Peter Hong standing to their right. Harriet Ryan and Michael Christenson (both of CTV) were standing to their left. I was on the Dept 106 side of the hall walking with the pool still photographer. In the middle of the hall was Roger Rosen, CP and some of the defense staff. John Spano was asking why RR objected to Peter Hong as the second pool reporter on the jury view. RR said something rude, then turned away, taking a few steps. John S remarked that RR is a jerk.

Roger Rosen twirled around, demanding to know what John Spano had said. This opened the door (as often happens when RR asks questions) thus allowing John S to repeat that RR is a jerk. Many of us share that belief. RR got all flustered, then petulantly shouted he would contact his own civil attorney about a slander action.

Immediately several of us pointed out to John that the truth is a valid defense against slander. Two random passing attorneys leaving Dept 108, with no connection to the PS case, assured John that they would defend him if RR is moron enough to file a slander lawsuit.

BTW, RR's beautiful girlfriend was nowhere around late in the trial Wednesday, nor in the hall during the shouting match.

Probably this means that during the Castle view Peter Hong will not be one of the pool reporters.

Funny, because about 9AM a bunch of us, including Robert Shapiro who was waiting to appear in Dept 107, were in the hall when Roger Rosen told all of us LKB is still very ill. This was when Mike C used his laptop to tell Beth Karas downstairs on camera about LKB's medical condition. RR was being friendly then, before he lost so many times before Judge Fidler.

Just reporting the facts as I see 'em.

CCA

Update: August 9th, 5:20 am
Looks like Peter doesn't get to go.

Update: August 9th, 4:30 pm Well, that was interesting how Judge Fidler handled the dust up between Spano & Rosen. Seems Rosen was a bit miffed to hear the specifics of an in camera session the media's First Amendment attorney had with Judge Fidler and counsel.

Revisiting the defense request and the pool reporter selection.
Regardless of what Spector wants, the Judge ruled that the press would choose who would be the selected pool reporter. Yet, have you ever heard, of a defendant requesting a specific reporter be the pool reporter? Where? When? No one I spoke to, could recall an incident. This was a first. From my perspective, that statement made in open court did not help Ms. Deutsch's career at all, and it gave validation to opinions that Ms. Deutsch is biased towards the defense side. It's not good to be aligned with a defense attorney who has such a poor reputation with the press, and at the courthouse. Not good at all.

Did Rosen's statement cast a shadow of suspicion on the voting process at the press advisory meeting? The other questions I would ask again are, how much lobbying was there, and why did so many reporters who had never been inside the courtroom reporting on the trial (or even in the media room on the 12th floor) show up for the voting? What made so many go to the trouble of making a trip to the downtown courthouse to cast a vote?