Jeff's view of Minton trial today
cultxpt@primenet.com (Jeff Jacobsen)
Wed, 24 May 2000 06:24:02 GMT

I went to Bob's trial today, but not yesterday. I heard Frank Oliver give a reasonable and simple explanation of how OSA works. Then the prosecutor tried to impeach Frank, not by impugning his testimony but by showing a video of Frank shining a laser at an OSA cameraman. He also just HAPPENED to have an OEC volume where he made Frank read a one-sentence quote which states something like "the church should do nothing illegal," as if that one sentence could impeach the mountain of evidence that Frank produced.

Next Bob got on the stand and went over how OSA was Fair Gaming him since 1997. The prosecutor tried to impeach Bob by saying that BOB was doing the Fair Gaming by his actions, such as picketing Bennetta Slaughter's house, picketing Flag at night, and such things.

I felt that the prosecutor was relying on emotion and extraneous evidence while skipping lightly around the actual assault. Bob's defense attorney did a good job of providing evidence in his closing argument that indeed this was an OSA setup.

When the jury started deliberating, we went down to the cafeteria. I was insisting to everyone that the jury would take at least a day. But lo and behold, in just enough time for me to eat a piece of cake and drink some milk, the jury returned with a verdict.

It was very emotional when we went back into court. When the verdict of not guilty was read out, some people on bob's side began crying, and I had trouble holding back tears of relief. No doubt there were tears on the other side as well.

When a Scientology staffer used a syringe to force a mixture of aspirin, Benadryl and orange juice into McPherson's throat while others held her down, it was "spiritual sustenance," the church argues.