Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Five Things We Learned From Yesterday's McCourt Trial (Sept 20 Recap)

The McCourt vs. McCourt divorce trial reconvened yesterday, and here's what we've learned in yet another day of Lifestyles of the Rich and Reprehensible:

  • 1. The University of Maryland Law Degree does not emphasize reading the fine print (let alone reading in general). How else to explain Jamie McCourt's testimony on the stand Monday, as chronicled by the LA Times:

    Jamie McCourt stuck to her story all afternoon Monday. Under cross-examination, she repeated that she believed the disputed agreement she and her estranged husband signed in 2004 permitted Frank McCourt to present himself as the sole owner of the Dodgers but did not mean the baseball team would be his in the event of divorce.

    “That is as fictional as Harry Potter,” said Steve Susman, one of Frank McCourt's attorneys, outside court.

    Under fierce questioning, Jamie did not back down from her assertions that she neither read nor understood the agreement and that no one had properly explained it to her.

    Susman, who emphasized that Jame once practiced law, walked her through the agreement and the cover letter that accompanied it, with Jamie deflecting numerous questions by saying she did not understand the language or could not recall discussing it.

    I can only assume Jamie had other students and professors read and explain her case law to her during her three years at University of Maryland earning a law degree. (Which may explain why this program doesn't show up in law school rankings until page 3, #49th-best school. Fear the turtle? More like Fear the Tort-Law.)

  • 2. Vegetables are also getting caught in the McCourt crossfire. I'm not talking about the four McCourt kids, either. It turns out even vegetables high in vitamin C, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese (while being low in saturated fat and sodium!) aren't nutritional enough to avoid being maligned by the McCourts:

    Jamie also shed more light into the dynamics of the McCourt marriage by discussing a handwritten note from March 31, 2004, the day the agreement was signed. It turns out Jamie had an acronym for her husband’s apparent frequent yelling.

    The McCourts flew from Massachusetts to California that day, and Jamie wrote in her note that “Frank freaked out because we had to land in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for no apparent reason. That means YAM.”

    And what did YAM mean?

    “That means he is yelling at me,” she said.

  • 3. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is not sending its annual Christmas card to the McCourts. Not that the McCourts are worried about corn processors, but still.

  • 4. If Jamie McCourt was insinuating today on the stand that she had been steamrolled by Frank--well, she should know how that feels:

    LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jamie McCourt's driver struck a pedestrian as the former Los Angeles Dodgers CEO arrived at the courthouse Monday to testify in her divorce case.

    The pedestrian was taken by ambulance to a hospital after the driver of the Land Rover hit a woman on a sidewalk.

    Witness Debra Amos says the SUV was backing out of the driveway when it struck the pedestrian, who works at the downtown building.

    Jamie McCourt was sitting in the front passenger seat and her attorney was in the back seat when they arrived at the courthouse. It was unclear if they were in the vehicle at the time of the accident.

  • 5. And in positive news, the Dodgers didn't lose on Monday. So there's that.

11 comments:

Fred's Brim said...

Give them credit though, the good young people at UMCP (University of Maryland - College Park) are #1 at burning down their own neighborhoods and fighting cops

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

“Frank freaked out because we had to land in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for no apparent reason."

I hate it when that happens.

Jason said...

If Frank can YAM, does that mean Jamie can CHICKPEA (Canceling Her Inner City Kids Playground Endowment Again)?

Nostradamus said...

Operation CARROT (Cheap Ass Roster Retrofit Over Time) is in full effect, as well.

Jason said...

Don't forget about Project ASPARAGUS: Acquiring Some Pitching Aces Requires Abhorrently Gutting Unnecessary Splurging

karina said...

"“That is as fictional as Harry Potter,” said Steve Susman, one of Frank McCourt's attorneys, outside court"

Silly muggle, he's trying to fool other muggles magic doesn't exist, when we all know McCourt imperiused a lot of people in order to buy one of the most storied and beloved teams in baseball with a parking lot.

Either that or he's just respecting the Statuecy of Secrecy

;)

Kyle Baker said...

I'd be really pissed off if I had to go to Cedar Rapids, too.

Steve Sax said...

Or RADISH (Repurposing After-tax Dodger Income Streams Hoggishly)

Josh S. said...

RUTABAGA (Relying Upon Tragic At-Bats By Aging Garret Anderson) was a big part of why we are where we are right now.

Nostradamus said...

Nice! Do you know how hard I was trying to think of something for rutabaga? Rutabaga's just funny shit.

Jason said...

How about JICAMA: Justifiably Increased Charges Allow Mansion Acquisitions