UPDATES BELOW In Wednesday's installment about the Dr. Dino trial, the Pensacola News Journal reported "The defense has subpoenaed 10 witnesses." For Thursday's newspaper, however, the PNJ is reporting "the defense will not present a case."
As we said yesterday, there is "literary precedent" for this. Given a defendant who scams millions by preaching that dinosaurs and mankind were set down on Earth simultaneously, Morgenhall himself couldn't have said it any better:
"Tactics, you see. We'd decided not to trouble with science."In the print edition of Thursday's paper we're told, "Before the break, [defense counsel Alan] Richey discussed with [Judge] Rodgers the witnesses he planned to call. After Wednesday's session, Richey said there was no need for a defense."---------
UPDATE # 1
Sounds to us as if the judge may have issued a gentle -- or not so gentle -- private warning to Richey. Something along these lines, we imagine:
"I will not have any religious screwballs making a circus out of my courtroom, Mr. Richey. So I suggest you check your witness list twice to be sure every single one of the ten witnesses you have subpoenaed has personal knowledge of some admissible fact relevant to the case, not just a hair-brained opinion or 'faith-based' belief that defies reality. Otherwise, the U.S. Marshall will be measuring you for an orange jumpsuit, too."
UPDATE # 2
Red State Rabble ("A skeptic's dispatches from the fly-over zone") got off a good one about the defense's failure to offer any evidence:"Hey, wait just a minute. That's the same proof they offer for creationism and intelligent design."
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