I never thought I would be blogging about Biblical banter at a child pornography trial, but leave it to this one to surprise.
During closing arguments, defense attorney Sam Adam, Jr. turned twice to Scripture- using the Good Book often relied on for answers to instead raise "reasonable doubt" in the minds of the jury.
The first righteous reference he pulled out early- referring to the "Old Proverb 22." To be specific, it's Proverbs 22:6, and in keeping with Adam, Jr.'s love for language- I'll quote my King James Version: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Why such precepts on parenting? Adam, Jr. pressed the Proverb in praise of the alleged victim's mother and dad, folks he described as upstanding people who raised a "sweet and lovely girl." Translation: NOT the so-called "whore" Adam, Jr. pointed out who took money on the sex tape for "dirty, raunchy sex."
The second scriptural selection was actually used to slander Lisa Van Allen- a teaching from the New Testament twisted to taint the woman who is thought to be the prosecution's star witness. The verse? It's from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 11, verse 14. "And no marvel," St. Paul writes, "for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
There's been a lot said in this case about the motives of Van Allen and her fiance, Yul Brown- but Adam, Jr. dipped to deepest levels of fiery hell for this one....and I'm wondering if for it, he will have to pay his penance.
Van Allen testified to engaging in three-way sex sessions with both R. Kelly and the alleged victim in the case. But by labeling her as the devil herself, Adam, Jr. seemed to be poking holes in his own argument- in front of self-described Christians on the jury panel, including one wife of a Baptist preacher.
To close, he instructed the jury that if they were to convict R. Kelly, they would be calling that young girl on the tape a whore. He then drove the point deeper with the use of an adage he said he learned from his mother: "If you ain't got nothing to nice to say about somebody, don't say anything at all."
Last I checked, he was the only one calling anyone the devil.
Comments (1)
Randi,
lol. It's a little difficult as an attorney not to say anything bad about the other side. Let's be quite frank here, its the prosecution and police's job to twist words and actions of defendants in order to demonize them to the jury. Lisa Van Allen from all accounts is a liar and money-hungry woman, the state paints this girlfriend of a convicted felon and defendant in a felony fraud scheme as a Saint. What Adams Jr. is doing is merely bringing the wolf out of the sheep's clothing in case some on the jury are actually lost in translation regarding the state's game of show and tell. I find it hilarious how the state one moment can demonize a person and throw them to the lions if they shut up and defend themselves, but if they make a deal (with the devil?), then they are painted with much more brilliant hues. Let us not forget Lisa Van Allen was given immunity for her testimony.
Posted by 14thCentury | June 13, 2008 10:26 AM
Posted on June 13, 2008 10:26