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A 17-page motion? I hope it's eventually posted.

I am sure it will eventually be posted. I hope it is posted soon.

Clearly the defense is doing two things here:

1. Forcing Titus to get up to speed by making him read the details of all that Nifong has done.

2. Showing Titus that as they have done in the past, the defense can continue to communicate with the public via motions.

I am beginning to think that if you look up dumb in the dictionary there will be a picture of some Durham judge. I understand the need to SAY to the community that this case is no different that others and these guys will not be treated differently than any other defendants. But you don't take your own rhetoric seriously. Or maybe Titus wants to look bad and make Durham look bad nationally. Like Stephens, Titus was completely in over his depth in his first hearing on this case.

I am shocked that Titus met in chambers before the hearing to discuss publicity. All he accomplished was letting some members of the press claim he took the defense attorneys to task about pre-trial publicity. And as the defense showed him with this motion they can still talk to the public.

I also wonder if Titus was unhappy or reacting to a Nifong complaint that the defense allowed Abrams to read all of discovery. That is of course dumb on Titus' part too as Abram's is an attorney and the defense can certainly say Abrams is a consultant on this case.

I am shocked that Titus met in chambers before the hearing to discuss publicity. All he accomplished was letting some members of the press claim he took the defense attorneys to task about pre-trial publicity.

Where did you read or hear that? I missed that nugget of information. I thought Titus was shooting from the hip (a prepared hip in that the order was already prepared in his sui sponte action) when he raised the issue of pretrial publicity. I still want to know how he can impose the rules of professional conduct on non-attorneys! And if Titus wanted to shut down all of the out-of-court communications, why didn't he just impose a gag order? Why reduce a rule to an order? All of the attorneys were already obligated to follow Rule 3.6.

I also wonder if Titus was unhappy or reacting to a Nifong complaint that the defense allowed Abrams to read all of discovery. That is of course dumb on Titus' part too as Abram's is an attorney and the defense can certainly say Abrams is a consultant on this case.

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I don't know if Nifong has a legitimate complaint about the sharing with Abrams. Many of the Talking Heads said that nothing prohibits the Defense from releasing that information. Of course, it was said as a criticism of the Defense attorneys - like what are they hiding. If they have nothing to hide, why don't they release the whole report - all the information, etc.

It's scary to think that if you are INNOCENT, that you or your counsel couldn't share evidence in the case in an attempt to prove your innocence.

Your point about hiring Abrams is valid, but I don't know that the Defense violated any statute. In a extreme case of abuse of power, any such statute would prevent someone from exposing the truth. Prevent someone that doesn't good legal representation from going to the Media.

Eveyone knows that I'm not a lawyer.

On another front, why in the heck did Judge Titus do such a thing? He could have and should have said anything he said in a back room in open court. The Defense has already made it known that they want everything recorded and some of the public has concerns about justice in this case.

For Titus to have this Pre-meeting it may be an indication of how little he knew of the case or that he has a Tin ear and doesn't give a damn. It has been reported on the radio here that Titus had that meeting to admonish the Defense Lawyers about publicity, which is unbelievable to me due to Nifong's ridiculous and numerous public statements - including Ol' Linwood Wilson.