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Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Almost Gone

Spent the day making lists of things to do before I go. Getting stuff out for the suitcase. Looking for things I want to take. The Birds of Thailand book is still missing as is my spare battery for my digital camera. But got things straightened out with my students and their thesis advisors and we met for dinner tonight. Prepped for the house sitter and the friends who are car sitting our van so it's out of the way when the snow plows come.

So, as much as I was tempted to write about Kohring's swipe at Sedwick I've resisted. All I can say is this: They started out with a long brief alleging all sorts of improprieties by the FBI in an attempt to quash the evidence collected in the search of his Wasilla office. Things like being under arrest in his office and not allowed to call his attorney or go to the bathroom. All of that was refuted by the prosecution in a brief and later in court. It was full of holes. I can't help but believe the same is true of this latest attempt. I sat through almost six weeks of trials in Sedwick's courtroom last year. This judge was the most patient, respectful, and fair person I've seen in a long time. And it never occurred that Judge Sedwick might be related to this Sedwick who he says was "worst political rival and enemy" until the end of the trial? How many Sedwicks do you know? I certainly would be asking questions if the judge hearing my case had the same name as my worst political rival and enemy. I wouldn't wait until a few days before my sentencing to bring it up.

I was in the courtroom for the closing arguments. I don't recall anything different about Kohring - that he appeared more agitated because of the presence of this worst enemy whose name is Sedwick. How much research do you have to do to find out that the judge and the former commissioner with the same uncommon name are related? I'm sorry, this just sounds so totally bogus to me.

If Kohring really wants to know who's taking advantage of him, I'd suggest he look closely at his attorney who's lifted over $100,000 from Kohring. How many more billable hours is this new little escapade? At one point Browne required that the prosecution bring every single FBI agent who monitored the tapes to fly to Alaska to verify the tapes. He was quoted as not caring about making the government go to great expense. (The attorneys in the other two cases waived this requirement and let one agent verify all the tapes.) There's a reason that most people who are indicted plea and never go to trial. It seems to me with a different attorney, Kohring might have saved himself the trial and a lot of money.

4 comments:

  1. Have a wonderful and productive trip! We look forward to your entries from Thailand...

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  2. Keep safe and enjoy your work and travel, Steve. I'll keep my eye on Vic and Sir John Henry for ya.

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  3. What are a person's rights when being questioned? Why do they stop a person from basic body functions? It's one thing if they don't want you going to stall (pun not intended) but they said he just couldn't go? I think Vic is doing everything he can to stay out of jail and I don't blame him. His story is silly, but i am wondering about the bathroom thing.

    Have a super trip!

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  4. Thanks KS and Phil.

    Anon, whoa! My point was that was his story. But when you heard the other side it was clear that he was stretching the truth to the extreme. I had a chance to talk to the FBI agent who interrogated him. I'm not saying that the FBI isn't practiced in their interrogation techniques. And there are people whose stories of being abused I believe. But Kohring's story just isn't consistent or believable. And when the agent testified in court, Kohring's attorney only made a light hearted attempt to challenge anything.

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