Word: sirica
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With the jury either out of the courtroom or beyond earshot, the judicial colloquy was astonishingly frank. Weary of the angry wrangles between the defense counsel and prosecutors, the blunt Sirica mused at one point: "Maybe I shouldn't say what is on my mind." But he did. Staring sternly at former Attorney General John Mitchell, a defendant, Sirica said of the Nixon aides who had plotted to bug Democratic National Headquarters at meetings in Mitchell's office: "It's too bad that Mr. Mitchell didn't say: 'Throw them out of here. Get them...
...John J. Wilson, 73, the garrulous defense attorney for H.R. Haldeman, also drew the fire of Sirica, 70, who had once worked with Wilson when both were assistant U.S. Attorneys in Washington. After one Sirica ruling, Wilson protested: "I always want to be respectful, but I think that's palpably unfair." Sirica slapped the bench with his hand, startling spectators. "Now listen, Mr. Wilson, you know me," Sirica snapped. "You've known me for years. I'm as much interested in getting the truth out as you are." Undaunted, Wilson argued on. Interrupting, Sirica shouted...
...White House conversations he had held with Nixon and therefore he could not vouch for their accuracy. Wilson wanted to show that Dean's testimony before the Senate Watergate Committee last year did not agree with everything on those three tapes, yet he nevertheless objected at length to Sirica's suggestion that the tapes be played. "Now listen, just a minute," Sirica cut in. "You just stop talking until I get through. You're not going to argue to this jury that this man went up to the Senate committee and say he gave false information when...
Even with the jurors in court, Sirica was outspoken. He advised that he intended to treat the normal rules of evidence with considerable latitude because "what we are trying to get, members of the jury, is the truth of what happened ... the truth...
Later, as defense counsel kept drawing ready admissions from Dean that he had shredded documents, helped others commit perjury and obstructed justice, Sirica seemed to tire of the repetition...