On one hand we have have the accuser. I don't want to talk about what's in the other one.

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(One of the buttons worn today by Dan Sutton supporters)

I've been listening to the Sutton proceedings for what seems like hours now.

We've heard from the accuser, and several other people giving testimony. We've heard the word "penis" over and over (and over). What have we heard at this point in the testimony?

They stayed in the hotel room together. There was a bed and a couch,
but they both slept in the bed for two evenings.

Dan bought Austin a shirt and tie. And he ironed it.

Dan had candy. And teenagers apparently hang out at his house.

There were accusations of touching, and right after the incident, those
accusations were related to the Attorney General, The local priest in Flandreau
and the High School Principal. In about that order.

Someone working for an unnamed congressman got Austin out of trouble for an
underage consumption charge out east. And he had a mySpace page that sounded
pretty darn wild.

We may (or may not) have heard the word "penis" on the tape made by DCI.
But God knows we've heard it several dozen times since the testimony
began.

Nancy Turbak didn't seem to know the accuser's name. But other than that,
she comes off as a pretty good attorney as she's rattled off her questions to
witnesses.

And what in the heck is with the soaps? Who tapes Soap Operas and watches them in their evenings off?

What are my impressions to this point? The story as related by Wiese seemed compelling, but on cross examination, Butler seemed to effectively wage war on the accuser's (Austin Wiese's) credibility. That MySpace page and other things didn't help him. But there still exists some basic points that aren't yet in dispute - that they slept in the same hotel room in the same bed.

How well Sutton comes off on the stand is going to be critically important.

Comments

Anonymous said…
The page was a facebook page. The only reason it's different is that the attorneys had to get access to it through one of Austin's friends. Facebook is not open to everyone like myspace. And according to the DCI investigator there are other accusations of abuse involving Sutton that were uncovered in the investigation.
10:14 PM
Anonymous said…
I don't think it is particularly effective to try to discredit the accusor by showing that he drinks or smokes. There are TONS of high school and college age kids who do this - and many of them are good kids otherwise. Likewise, there are TONS of good kids who put stupid pictures and messages on their websites. Young people may show a lack of wisdom, but that does not indicate the type of deceipt that would be required for the accusor to make up these charges.
10:20 PM
Anonymous said…
PP - Isn't it time to drop "the accusor" and call the kid by name? It's in the paper, on TV, etc.
10:20 PM
Anonymous said…
Sutton's buttons don't have political disclaimers. Hang him!
12:33 AM
Anonymous said…
He should probably be disciplined on the soap opera issue alone.
8:34 AM
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