Return of The Courtstalker

The last couple of days have been the worst for the defence so far. My sense is that Black knows that it’s going against him now. During Radler’s first day, he looked sullen, petulant even. But as the hours of Radler’s testimony piled up, he’s turned more and more sombre. As for Radler, where he was practically chipper on the first day—I think primarily to combat his nerves—he’s become more focused, almost professorial.

At one stage on the second day, he was standing up in front of a chart explaining the division of managerial responsibilities within Hollinger. He was poised and confident in his presentation—in every sense a credible witness. But what was most striking was the jury. I’ve observed this group sit through some pretty boring examinations, and their minds wander: they look at the ceiling, they doze off. But with Radler on the stand, they’ve been very attentive. They’re all taking notes. Where before they may have felt they were being asked to infer some implication of wrongdoing, now they seem aware that they’re getting the straight goods. Radler has cachet, and that spells trouble for Black and the defence.