Alex Jones Trial Judge Losing Control

Judge Barbara Bellis is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain control of her courtroom. Counsel for both parties struggle to slalom through her growing list of labyrinthine rulings and grants of sweeping motions in limine. Though structured to gratuitously favor plaintiffs, their own exhibits are saturated with artifacts and evidence otherwise barred to the defense. As a result, plaintiffs' attorneys are dance precariously around their own evidence on direct examination in an attempt to avoid opening any doors that Bellis has shut for them. Although Bellis' attempts to sanction Jones and his attorneys were meant to aid plaintiffs, the stifling limitations have only served to frustrate the proceedings, backfiring on both the plaintiffs and Bellis

In this example we see the type of events that have come to typify this trial. Attorney Pattis has just played one of the video exhibits submitted by plaintiffs. As a result, Pattis has gotten a witness to utter the name of Barrack Obama and claim to the jury, that despite being a member of a prominent Gun Control group for 9 years, she had no idea what position Alex Jones held in the matter of gun control - testimony that Pattis visibly took with a satisfyingly heavy dose of incredulity.

Having suffered a severe blow, plaintiffs' attorney Chris Mattie plays another section of video ( Exhibit 1C) on re-direct which was submitted as a separate exhibit (though taken from the same source as Pattis' presentation on cross, Exhibit 1E ). Pattis rightly objects since re-direct is limited in scope to the evidence offered in either direct examination or cross examination. Attorney Mattie improperly retorts to the objection exclaiming "Same video your honor." Pattis repeats his objection and Mattie inappropriately responds directly to attorney Pattis, prompting Bellis to call a side bar - presented in full here.