SANDUSKY TRIAL Openings and first witness

Artwork by Aggie Kenny 

Opening statements at the Jerry Sandusky trial in Bellefonte Pa.  On the wall was a photo of victim #4, who was the first victim to testify in the case.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/timeline-jerry-sandusky-sex-abuse-case-050456192--nfl.html

Victim 4 took the stand first, on the screen victim #4 as a child with Sandusky's hand on his shoulder

GUPTA TRIAL Gupta staying at the defense table, not taking the stand

Late Sunday the press was notified  that Rajat Gupta will not be taking the stand. So he will stay seated at the defense table for the remainder of the trial.   During the trial his family has been sitting behind him. His wife and daughters have attended every day of the trial. They have been a noticeable presence in court.

story link http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/06/why-the-rajat-gupta-trial-is-a-big-deal.html

GUPTA TRIAL DAY THIRTEEN Prosecution Rests, Defense Begins

Today after Lloyd Blankfein took the stand and the prosecution presented some records they rested their case.
Then the defense began and  put on the stand two witnesses one a very quick character witness and then a taped deposition of a Berkshire Hathaway exec who knew Gupta. Gupta told him about Raj scamming him out of his investment in a Galleon fund.
We also learned at the end of the day , that Rajat Gupta is likely to take the stand in his defense. The judge  mentioned it in an off hand manor while discussing some details of the case with the lawyers after the jury had left. The courtroom was pretty empty and I could not believe what I heard,  then he said it again. So I turned around and checked with the reporter sitting behind me and he nodded, yes. It was quite a surprise.
story link
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/08/goldman-gupta-idUSL1E8H8G9A20120608

Rajat Gupta Defense Begins

GUPTA TRIAL DAY TWELVE Lloyd Blankfein day 2

Lloyd Blankfein continued his testimony this afternoon. However before he  answered no more than a few questions a legal issue came up and the judge called a side bar. This side bar lasted almost 15 minutes and Mr Blankfein had to sit on the stand with the audience looking at him for the entire time. It was awkward to say the least, and I noticed he was fidgeting again. I thought it would be good practice to draw and study his moves. This is the little drawing.

Finally when the judge made his ruling, the testimony  began again; the prosecutor Reed Brodsky began his line of questions. Blankfein became more focused and easier to draw.
story link
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-goldman-guptabre8561al-20120607,0,6331652.story

GUPTA TRIAL DAY ELEVEN

The Law Student and the Judge
Judge Rakoff is well regarded and has a fan in the courtroom. We learned today that a  Cardozo law student, who has attended almost every day of the trial, wrote some letters to the judge about his rulings. To avoid any impropriety he  called her to the side bar with the lawyers and told her she could not communicate with him. This all came out later when she had a little press conference outside the courthouse. Nothing was said about it in open court, it was all handled by the judge at the bench conference.
story links
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/06/06/law-students-colloquies-banned-from-gupta-trial/

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/06/06/gupta-trial-judge-reprimands-law-student-spectator/

Side Bars
I wanted to draw a side bar and this especially long one afforded me that opportunity. Many legal issues have been taken up at bench conferences out of ear shot of the jury.
It has been a notable occurrence at this trial.
story link
http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/News/2012/05_-_May/Always_time_for_one_more_huddle_at_Gupta_insider_trial/

GUPTA TRIAL DAY TEN Kumar and Blankfein

Anil Kumar and Lloyd Blankfein took the stand today.

In the afternoon Lloyd Blankfein took the stand. Interesting little detail about Blankfein, while the lawyers were conferring with the judge at a side bar, he found a little rubber band and I noticed him playing with it .  So I got that in a drawing. He noticed I was drawing him fidgeting and put his hand down with the rubber band, and smiled.
http://www.businessweek.com/videos/2012-06-05/blankfein-confirms-gutpas-info-was-confidential

 Anil Kumar finished up his testimony and Blankfein began his. Gary Naftalis crossed Kumar for about 2 hours. No taped conversations were played in comparison to the testimony that Kumar gave at Rajaratnam trial, which amounted to quite a few tapes being played and probably sealing Rajaratnam's fate.

story link
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/06/04/bloomberg_articlesM53OIN1A1I4H01-M53QC.DTL

GUPTA TRIAL DAY NINE

Anil Kumar star witness from Rajaratnam trial on the stand. He was very engaged with the jury or maybe he was trying to avoid having eye contact with Gupta.
story link
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/01/goldman-gupta-idUSL1E8H1JP220120601

Heather Webster from JP Morgan asset management on the stand.
story link
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/06/01/rajat-guptas-wealth-in-spotlight-at-trial/