Who Would You Believe

A man wearing a checked tie of pink and black accuses another of being a liar. Would you not raise an eyebrow and question the honesty of a man wearing such an item?

Joseph Lopez, he of the loud tie, is defending Frank Calabrese Sr., who stands accused of numerous Mafia murders. As a defense attorney, Mr. Lopez has the task of casting aspersions on the government's witnesses, most of whom are also Mafiosi and have cut deals with the Feds. That's the crux of the defense, right there -- you can't believe the parade of witnesses who have said that Mr. Calabrese Sr. committed numerous murders because they'd say anything to keep their sorry selves out of prison.

What else might a defense attorney do to distract a jury and help them forget what was said (and taped) in a prison visiting room, when Mr. Calabrese Sr. described various killings to his son. Perhaps a flashy PowerPoint presentation will lull the twelve into somnambulence, while reminding the jurors that they were empaneled because of the sacrifices of George Washington and the soldiers at Valley Forge who marched through the snow, bare feet bleeding. Or will the jurors murmur a collective "WTF?" over such disjointed ramblings?

Perhaps the only thing Mr. Lopez can hope to do is to drive his defense theory home. His client is being railroaded by a guilty brother and guilty son who would like someone else do the time for their crimes. And don't believe what my client said on those tapes. He was just talking out of his head, trying to impress his son, trying to act like a big shot when he was just a juice loan man who never killed nobody. Look deeply into my tie. You are getting sleepy. Very sleepy.

The jury in the Family Secrets trial is expected to begin deliberating later today. Time will tell if a man in a wildly patterned tie can create enough confusion and doubt to get his client off. Can a bizarre tie or a flashy suit convince enough people that Mr. Calabrese didn't mean he had killed people when he said he killed people? Or will the conservative suit of the Federal prosecutor carry more weight?