Say It Ain't So, Sim

After urging defense lawyer George "Mac" Secrest to pick up the pace at least three times on Tuesday, Judge Simeon T. Lake III suggested the courthouse equivalent of the nuclear option after the court session ended, my colleague Carrie Johnson reports.

Learning that the defense expected to take two more weeks before resting, and that the government could take yet another week on rebuttal, the judge put his foot down.

"We're getting quite a bit off schedule," he said. "I'm going to think about extending our days or reducing the lunch break."

The judge said he would do nothing before consulting the jury, which is in its 13th week of hearing evidence.

He didn't say anything about consulting the veteran members of the press corps, who are also in their 13th week of hearing evidence and were terrified by Judge Sim's warning.

By Frank Ahrens |  April 25, 2006; 9:33 PM ET  | Category:  Sidebars
Previous: An Eyewitness Weighs In ... Via Cyberspace | Next: Lay, Day Two: The Lost Day