Legal Expert Savages Bashir And Guest For Vilifying Zimmerman’s ‘Cold,’ ‘Culturally Unaware’ Attorney
On Wednesday, legal analyst Lisa Bloom scolded MSNBC’s Martin Bashir and his guest after they reacted with shock to George Zimmerman’s defense attorney’s cross examination of a prosecution witness. Bashir’s guest called the defense attorney “cold” and “culturally unaware” for focusing on the witness’s admission that she had lied in deposition. Bloom reminded the guests that Zimmerman’s attorney was not only just doing his job but he was doing it well.
Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart was asked for his impression of the job that Zimmerman attorney Don West did cross examining the prosecution’s witness, Trayvon Martin’s friend Rachel Jenteal.
“I find him to be very cold,” Capehart said. “Very, sort of, culturally unaware of the witness he’s talking to.”
“You mean psychologically unaware,” Bashir prompted.
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Capehart excused Jenteal for lying during her deposition prior to testifying in court. “Yes, she lied, but the reason for her lie is not unsympathetic,” Capehart said.
He continued to criticize West for cutting off Jenteal during an emotional moment in her testimony. “I sincerely think that Don West is the wrong person to be doing this cross examination,” Capehart opined.
“Is this particularly helpful for the defense in the way they’ve been so cold to this particular witness?” Bashir asked Bloom.
“First of all, anyone who thinks that a defense attorney in a murder case is going to be warm and fuzzy with a key prosecution witness has it wrong,” Bloom replied. “That’s not his job. It’s not a tea party, it’s a murder trial.”
Bashir asserted that West exhibited a “lack of understanding” of the witness’s personal trauma over the murder of Martin. “The job of the defense attorney is to establish any lies – epically by important witnesses – that they can,” Bloom shot back.
She added that West has been calm and has not raised his voice, suggesting that he was exhibiting more restraint than was necessary.
Watch the clip below via MSNBC:
