Oscar nominations are out

Jeralyn Merritt: Welcome. The Kobe Bryant criminal case is over. In my opinion, it should never have been filed. The facts were not in the accuser's favor and it was unlikely the prosecution would establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Was justice served? I'll try to answer that and your other questions.

Jeralyn Merritt: No. A misunderstanding is not rape. The statement was clearly one that was negotiated between the accuser's lawyers and Kobe's lawyers. It sets the stage for a civil settlement and likely was a condition she insisted upon before agreeing to ask the prosecutor to drop the criminal charges, but it's not an admission of rape. If Kobe thought the act was consensual, he had no intent to commit a crime.

Jeralyn Merritt: I think that the turning point in the case was indeed the revelation in the court transcript that a defense expert held the opinion that the accuser engaged in sex within 15 hours of her encounter with Kobe. If believed by the jury, they would not find such behavior consistent with that of a true rape victim. That was the beginning of the end.

Jeralyn Merritt: Kobe's statement was a legal one. It was not an admission of wrongdoing. It was necessary to get the accuser to ask the DA to drop the charges.

No one in their right mind would go to trial and risk life in prison when they can get the charges dismissed merely by apologizing for what the accuser thought happened even though he doesn't agree it happened that way.

This case belonged in the civil arena from day one.

Kobe Bryant Case (washingtonpost.com)

 

Oscar winner:

 

They haven't messed up any yet, have they?

 

Is it embarrassing that I want to get nominated for one of these? It probably is. I should not admit that I do. But I do.

 

Not that I know of, but as they just went to commercial, the announcer said that they will be opening THIS envelope for Best Picture.

Heh, heh.

ADD: They're making jokes about it now.

 

Kind of cool to have Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway back here, so long as they don't fuck it up again.

 

I want to win one. Nothing wrong with that.

 

I wouldn't mind it, but I'd rather be on a Stanley Cup champion. I could have a lot of fun in 24 hours with Lord Stanley.

 

This will sound like bragging, but I got it for a day once, to do a story—not because I'd won it in any fashion, of course—and it was one of the greatest days of my life. It was an enormous privilege and I felt so, so lucky. I spent the whole day on the verge of tears—like, eight hours with a lump in my throat. I can't imagine how it feels to earn that day, to spend your whole life working toward something and then you get your day with it, with your family and friends. It must be the absolute best.

Reminds me of this NHL spot, which never fails to choke me up.

 

Why so sad? You've already locked up SJ Pedicure of the Millennium, beating Chef2 on finesse points.

 

I humbly thank the SJ.com Academy for this honour.