Re: LIBEL TRIAL DISCUSSION HERE

by sallypelt 13.09.13 20:08

So information on David Trickey:

http://davidtrickey.com/

http://davidtrickey.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DTrickey-Biography-narrative-060812.pdf

by **tigger** 13.09.13 20:16

I expect the judge's problem is that he cannot accept written evidence from clan McCann. Would this not be a problem in the UK as well?
A bunch of people have registered as appearing in court, turned up and decided at the last minute that they'd rather leave a note for the judge. Consequently it would be difficult to cross examine them?

by Newintown 13.09.13 20:19

candyfloss wrote:
candyfloss wrote:It's true - trial suspended..........

Maddie libel case suspended in Portugal
05:55 Sat Sep 14 2013
AAP

Libel proceedings brought by the parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann against a former Portuguese detective who wrote a book about the case have been abruptly suspended.
The Lisbon court had been due to hear evidence from members of the McCann family about the effect that the book by Goncalo Amaral had on them and the search for Madeleine, who was three when she disappeared in 2007 as the family holidayed on the Algarve.
But proceedings were halted during Friday afternoon, the second day of the hearing.
"The judge had a problem. We are going to propose that the witnesses give their testimonies in written form so they do not have to return from Britain again, but it is not certain that this will be accepted by the court," a lawyer for the McCann family told AFP.
Kate McCann left the court surrounded by family members and climbed into a black car to avoid the cameras outside the building.
Inside the courtroom, she had avoided the gaze of Amaral, who led the Portuguese police investigation.
He claims he was fully entitled to write the book under Portuguese law. In it, he advances the theory that Madeleine died accidentally and that her parents were implicated in her death.
The family is seeking the equivalent of STG1 million ($A1.74 million) in damages.
David Trickey - the psychologist who has been helping the McCanns' two other children, twins Sean and Amelie, since 2007 - told the court he was concerned that they would one day be able to read Amaral's book.
The McCanns have unsuccessfully tried to ban the book. It was taken off sale but is now back on the shelves.
British police said in August they were opening their own investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. She was just a few days short of her fourth birthday when she vanished.
Her parents believe she was kidnapped and is still alive.

http://news.msn.co.nz/worldnews/8723141/maddie-libel-case-suspended-in-portugal
This is getting more and more strange. The Judge 'had a problem' - what does that mean. Was he that ill he couldn't sit through a couple of hours afternoon session. All very weird......

Perhaps the Judge realised at a very early stage that what was being quoted by the McCanns witnesses was a load of old bo**ocks and was a complete waste of his time and the all of the Court employees' time being there, and especially that the Court had been booked for another 2 days next week. No doubt he would have read all of the papers presented to him from both sides from cover to cover so had a good impression of the McCanns' evidence and GA's evidence.

If the Judge had given some hours to the McCanns for evidence regarding the twins and the person speaking on their behalf had only seen them once in 6 years, well what a farce. No wonder the Judge walked out early for a stiff drink or to play golf.

by gbwales 13.09.13 20:22

I also wonder if it is to do with the quality of "evidence" but also I wonder if he has sent them away or if Team McCann have asked to go away and come back with some kind of quantifiable evidence?
What their lawyer says certainly leaves that as a possibility.

by sweetex 13.09.13 20:25

tigger wrote:I expect the judge's problem is that he cannot accept written evidence from clan McCann. Would this not be a problem in the UK as well?
A bunch of people have registered as appearing in court, turned up and decided at the last minute that they'd rather leave a note for the judge. Consequently it would be difficult to cross examine them?

I could be wrong, but I understood that their lawyer suggested the notes/letters AFTER the case was suspended today. So they don't all have to fly back again to Portugal.

by Newintown 13.09.13 20:32

gbwales wrote:I also wonder if it is to do with the quality of "evidence" but also I wonder if he has sent them away or if Team McCann have asked to go away and come back with some kind of quantifiable evidence?
What their lawyer says certainly leaves that as a possibility.

A lawyer for the McCann family said -

"We are going to propose that the witnesses give their testimonies in written form so they do not have to return from Britain again, but it is not certain that this will be accepted by the court," a lawyer for the McCann family told AFP."

Well, the family don't seem to be worried about backing up K & G when he's quoted the above line (underlined). It sounds like his talking about the same witnesses "so they do not have to return from Britain again" and not new witnesses. Surely the McCanns friends/witnesses can give a few days out of their lives (with all the money in Madeleine's fund for helping the "wider family" which can be used for hotels/air flights or anything they want, unless the money's run out of course).

If they haven't got the "quantifiable evidence" now, where are they going to find it in the future?

by Guest 13.09.13 20:32

Newintown wrote:
candyfloss wrote:
candyfloss wrote:It's true - trial suspended..........

Maddie libel case suspended in Portugal
05:55 Sat Sep 14 2013
AAP

Libel proceedings brought by the parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann against a former Portuguese detective who wrote a book about the case have been abruptly suspended.
The Lisbon court had been due to hear evidence from members of the McCann family about the effect that the book by Goncalo Amaral had on them and the search for Madeleine, who was three when she disappeared in 2007 as the family holidayed on the Algarve.
But proceedings were halted during Friday afternoon, the second day of the hearing.
"The judge had a problem. We are going to propose that the witnesses give their testimonies in written form so they do not have to return from Britain again, but it is not certain that this will be accepted by the court," a lawyer for the McCann family told AFP.
Kate McCann left the court surrounded by family members and climbed into a black car to avoid the cameras outside the building.
Inside the courtroom, she had avoided the gaze of Amaral, who led the Portuguese police investigation.
He claims he was fully entitled to write the book under Portuguese law. In it, he advances the theory that Madeleine died accidentally and that her parents were implicated in her death.
The family is seeking the equivalent of STG1 million ($A1.74 million) in damages.
David Trickey - the psychologist who has been helping the McCanns' two other children, twins Sean and Amelie, since 2007 - told the court he was concerned that they would one day be able to read Amaral's book.
The McCanns have unsuccessfully tried to ban the book. It was taken off sale but is now back on the shelves.
British police said in August they were opening their own investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. She was just a few days short of her fourth birthday when she vanished.
Her parents believe she was kidnapped and is still alive.

http://news.msn.co.nz/worldnews/8723141/maddie-libel-case-suspended-in-portugal
This is getting more and more strange. The Judge 'had a problem' - what does that mean. Was he that ill he couldn't sit through a couple of hours afternoon session. All very weird......
Perhaps the Judge realised at a very early stage that what was being quoted by the McCanns witnesses was a load of old bo**ocks and was a complete waste of his time and the all of the Court employees' time being there, and especially that the Court had been booked for another 2 days next week. No doubt he would have read all of the papers presented to him from both sides from cover to cover so had a good impression of the McCanns' evidence and GA's evidence.

If the Judge had given some hours to the McCanns for evidence regarding the twins and the person speaking on their behalf had only seen them once in 6 years, well what a farce. No wonder the Judge walked out early for a stiff drink or to play golf.

by Guest 13.09.13 20:33

Newintown wrote:
gbwales wrote:I also wonder if it is to do with the quality of "evidence" but also I wonder if he has sent them away or if Team McCann have asked to go away and come back with some kind of quantifiable evidence?
What their lawyer says certainly leaves that as a possibility.
A lawyer for the McCann family said -

"We are going to propose that the witnesses give their testimonies in written form so they do not have to return from Britain again, but it is not certain that this will be accepted by the court," a lawyer for the McCann family told AFP."

Well, the family don't seem to be worried about backing up K & G when he's quoted the above line (underlined). Surely the McCanns friends/witnesses can give a few days out of their lives (with all the money in Madeleine's fund for helping the "wider family" which can be used for hotels/air flights or anything they want, unless the money's run out of course).

If they haven't got the "quantifiable evidence" now, where are they going to find it in the future?

In Cloud Cuckoo Land

by MRNOODLES 13.09.13 20:34

Newintown wrote:
gbwales wrote:I also wonder if it is to do with the quality of "evidence" but also I wonder if he has sent them away or if Team McCann have asked to go away and come back with some kind of quantifiable evidence?
What their lawyer says certainly leaves that as a possibility.
A lawyer for the McCann family said -

"We are going to propose that the witnesses give their testimonies in written form so they do not have to return from Britain again, but it is not certain that this will be accepted by the court," a lawyer for the McCann family told AFP."

Well, the family don't seem to be worried about backing up K & G when he's quoted the above line (underlined). Surely the McCanns friends/witnesses can give a few days out of their lives (with all the money in Madeleine's fund for helping the "wider family" which can be used for hotels/air flights or anything they want, unless the money's run out of course).

If they haven't got the "quantifiable evidence" now, where are they going to find it in the future?

The usual source... they pluck it out of their back sides.

by Ayniia 13.09.13 20:38

sweetex wrote:If someone could please translate for us (video clip)

I saw a translation not a good one though but according to that one it is not going well for the McCanns as it seems most of the effects on the kids and them that was discussed was BEFORE The publishing of the book. I could be wrong.

Anyone speaking Portuguese to help us with this one?

http://cmtv.sapo.pt/detalhe.aspx?channelID=34F5E1B7-BABF-4C08-83FC-20AF9E097CDA&contentID=793F0603-4A97-4A89-87E8-7173EB3D72A1

Basically the reporter said David Trickey testimony was refuted by GA defense because he only met with the twins and the parents once and all other contacts were by phone. Then he says a lawyer, who was with the Mccanns in Portugal between May and September 2007, gave testimony but the defense refutes as you say because what he witnessed was "BEFORE The publishing of the book."

by Guest 13.09.13 20:40

We were told the case folded because of the situation the Judge found herself in.

What situation, what reason did she give before sojourning the session? Something MUST have been said, put on record, in writing

It's just not on, for a judge in a once-in-the-century case like this one, to go out for lunch and not return after lunch

What did she have for lunch?

Anyone purporting a theory?

by whmon 13.09.13 20:41

Libel proceedings brought by the parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann against a former Portuguese detective who wrote a book about the case have been abruptly suspended.
The Lisbon court had been due to hear evidence from members of the McCann family about the effect that the book by Goncalo Amaral had on them and the search for Madeleine, who was three when she disappeared in 2007 as the family holidayed on the Algarve.
But proceedings were halted during Friday afternoon, the second day of the hearing.
"The judge had a problem. We are going to propose that the witnesses give their testimonies in written form so they do not have to return from Britain again, but it is not certain that this will be accepted by the court," a lawyer for the McCann family told AFP.
Kate McCann left the court surrounded by family members and climbed into a black car to avoid the cameras outside the building.
Inside the courtroom, she had avoided the gaze of Amaral, who led the Portuguese police investigation.
He claims he was fully entitled to write the book under Portuguese law. In it, he advances the theory that Madeleine died accidentally and that her parents were implicated in her death.
The family is seeking the equivalent of STG1 million ($A1.74 million) in damages.
David Trickey - the psychologist who has been helping the McCanns' two other children, twins Sean and Amelie, since 2007 - told the court he was concerned that they would one day be able to read Amaral's book.
The McCanns have unsuccessfully tried to ban the book. It was taken off sale but is now back on the shelves.
British police said in August they were opening their own investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. She was just a few days short of her fourth birthday when she vanished.
Her parents believe she was kidnapped and is still alive.

'Inside the courtroom, she had avoided the gaze of Amaral,' - very, very telling!

by gbwales 13.09.13 20:42

This quote earlier in today's thread...

"though he presented himself as a specialist of criminal defence and management of the media, Mr McBride, this morning, wasn't able to give even vague numbers when asked by GA's lawyer (Victor Santos de Oliveira) to compare the media effects of the disappearance, the arguido status and the book."

...made me wonder if they'd woefully misjudged what they thought they could turn up and say, and that this suspension and the slightly vague description of what's going on according to their lawyer is an embarrassed mess....?
ie: Did the judge "have a problem" with them and their testimonies...?

by Guest 13.09.13 20:43

I can see it now...

Recess is over.

The clerk of the court goes to the judges chambers.

As he opens the door the curtains go woosh and he sees the jemmied shutters.

Perhaps the McCanns were telling the truth after all rotfl

by ShuBob 13.09.13 20:44

Ayniia wrote:
sweetex wrote:If someone could please translate for us (video clip)

I saw a translation not a good one though but according to that one it is not going well for the McCanns as it seems most of the effects on the kids and them that was discussed was BEFORE The publishing of the book. I could be wrong.

Anyone speaking Portuguese to help us with this one?

http://cmtv.sapo.pt/detalhe.aspx?channelID=34F5E1B7-BABF-4C08-83FC-20AF9E097CDA&contentID=793F0603-4A97-4A89-87E8-7173EB3D72A1
Basically the reporter said David Trickey testimony was refuted by GA defense because he only met with the twins and the parents once and all other contacts were by phone. Then he says a lawyer, who was with the Mccanns in Portugal between May and September 2007, gave testimony but the defense refutes as you say because what he witnessed was "BEFORE The publishing of the book."

Thanks a lot Ayniia.

With the quality of the McCanns' witnesses and what they've had to say so far, if I was the judge, I wouldn't have returned from lunch as well bored

It's no wonder Gerry didn't bother going over flag

by Guest 13.09.13 20:44

whmon wrote:Libel proceedings brought by the parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann against a former Portuguese detective who wrote a book about the case have been abruptly suspended.
The Lisbon court had been due to hear evidence from members of the McCann family about the effect that the book by Goncalo Amaral had on them and the search for Madeleine, who was three when she disappeared in 2007 as the family holidayed on the Algarve.
But proceedings were halted during Friday afternoon, the second day of the hearing.
"The judge had a problem. We are going to propose that the witnesses give their testimonies in written form so they do not have to return from Britain again, but it is not certain that this will be accepted by the court," a lawyer for the McCann family told AFP.
Kate McCann left the court surrounded by family members and climbed into a black car to avoid the cameras outside the building.
Inside the courtroom, she had avoided the gaze of Amaral, who led the Portuguese police investigation.
He claims he was fully entitled to write the book under Portuguese law. In it, he advances the theory that Madeleine died accidentally and that her parents were implicated in her death.
The family is seeking the equivalent of STG1 million ($A1.74 million) in damages.
David Trickey - the psychologist who has been helping the McCanns' two other children, twins Sean and Amelie, since 2007 - told the court he was concerned that they would one day be able to read Amaral's book.
The McCanns have unsuccessfully tried to ban the book. It was taken off sale but is now back on the shelves.
British police said in August they were opening their own investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. She was just a few days short of her fourth birthday when she vanished.
Her parents believe she was kidnapped and is still alive.

'Inside the courtroom, she had avoided the gaze of Amaral,' - very, very telling!

Hasn't she let it be known, that she had never set eyes on him; and that she now was looking forward to seeing the whites of his eyes? And that se wanted him to feel fear?

How more DSM-4/5 can you get?

by Newintown 13.09.13 20:45

Newintown wrote:
gbwales wrote:I also wonder if it is to do with the quality of "evidence" but also I wonder if he has sent them away or if Team McCann have asked to go away and come back with some kind of quantifiable evidence?
What their lawyer says certainly leaves that as a possibility.
A lawyer for the McCann family said -

"We are going to propose that the witnesses give their testimonies in written form so they do not have to return from Britain again, but it is not certain that this will be accepted by the court," a lawyer for the McCann family told AFP."

Well, the family don't seem to be worried about backing up K & G when he's quoted the above line (underlined). It sounds like his talking about the same witnesses "so they do not have to return from Britain again" and not new witnesses. Surely the McCanns friends/witnesses can give a few days out of their lives (with all the money in Madeleine's fund for helping the "wider family" which can be used for hotels/air flights or anything they want, unless the money's run out of course).

If they haven't got the "quantifiable evidence" now, where are they going to find it in the future?

I amended by post so have bumped it up a bit because I wanted to add that I don't think you can add witnesses at a later stage while a court case is taking place, unless the rules are different in Portugal.

I went through a court case in the UK for 2 years and the Judge has to have all the relevant papers and witness statements some weeks before the court dates so that he can digest all of the information so that he can follow the evidence from one minute to the next. Even witness statements have to be typed up and signed in front of a legal representative (solicitor/lawyer) before they are sent to the Court. A file is made up of every paper submitted, every piece of evidence that has been put forward so that the file can be followed page by page by the Judge and the people giving evidence. It is referred to constantly throughout the trial.

by sweetex 13.09.13 20:45

Ayniia wrote:
sweetex wrote:If someone could please translate for us (video clip)

I saw a translation not a good one though but according to that one it is not going well for the McCanns as it seems most of the effects on the kids and them that was discussed was BEFORE The publishing of the book. I could be wrong.

Anyone speaking Portuguese to help us with this one?

http://cmtv.sapo.pt/detalhe.aspx?channelID=34F5E1B7-BABF-4C08-83FC-20AF9E097CDA&contentID=793F0603-4A97-4A89-87E8-7173EB3D72A1
Basically the reporter said David Trickey testimony was refuted by GA defense because he only met with the twins and the parents once and all other contacts were by phone. Then he says a lawyer, who was with the Mccanns in Portugal between May and September 2007, gave testimony but the defense refutes as you say because what he witnessed was "BEFORE The publishing of the book."

Thank you!

by Guest 13.09.13 20:47

sweetex wrote:
Ayniia wrote:
sweetex wrote:If someone could please translate for us (video clip)

I saw a translation not a good one though but according to that one it is not going well for the McCanns as it seems most of the effects on the kids and them that was discussed was BEFORE The publishing of the book. I could be wrong.

Anyone speaking Portuguese to help us with this one?

http://cmtv.sapo.pt/detalhe.aspx?channelID=34F5E1B7-BABF-4C08-83FC-20AF9E097CDA&contentID=793F0603-4A97-4A89-87E8-7173EB3D72A1
Basically the reporter said David Trickey testimony was refuted by GA defense because he only met with the twins and the parents once and all other contacts were by phone. Then he says a lawyer, who was with the Mccanns in Portugal between May and September 2007, gave testimony but the defense refutes as you say because what he witnessed was "BEFORE The publishing of the book."
Thank you!

Ye, thank you Ayniia roses

by maebee 13.09.13 20:48

http://joana-morais.blogspot.com/2013/09/maddie-case-psychologist-and-criminal.html

Afternoon session was canceled

Only two witnesses, a psycholigist and a criminal lawyer, were heard today on the second day of the trial of the civil lawsuit that was filed by the McCann couple against former PJ inspector Gonçalo Amaral, as the afternoon session was canceled.

According to Isabel Duarte, the McCanns' lawyer, the cancellation of the audience that had been scheduled for the afternoon was due to a "personal problem" of judge Maria Emília Melo e Castro. Nevertheless, the impediment is of temporary character and does not compromise the course of the trail.

Isabel Duarte, the McCann couple's lawyer in the civil suit, over defamation, against the former PJ inspector who investigated the disappearance of the English child in the Algarve (2007), told Lusa agency that due to this unforeseen problem with the judge, the court was not able to hear the other three witnesses, all of them relatives of the British couple.

With Kate McCann and the grandmother of the missing little girl seated in the area that is destined for the public, the morning session was used to hear an English psychologist who accompanied Madeleine McCann's twin siblings after the tragic disappearance of the child from a hotel apartment in Lagos, in the Algarve.

The other witness that was heard was a criminal lawyer who helped the McCann couple in an attempt to decipher the mystery that surrounds the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who spoke about the media impact that the public statements of Gonçalo Amaral, involving the child's parents in the disappearance, had in England.

Isabel Duarte mentioned that the following sessions are scheduled for September 19, 20 and 27, then continuing on October 2 and 8, and concluding on the 5th of November.

According to the lawyer, Kate McCann will not testify during the trial, despite the fact that the new Civil Process Code already foresees that possibility, given that the process was worked upon and elaborated under another presupposition.

The same happens with Gonçalo Amaral, who will not make a statement during the trial.

Earlier, the parties failed to reach an extrajudicial agreement within the civil case, in which Madeleine McCann's parents requested compensation in the amount of 1.2 million euro over the alleged defamation by the former PJ inspector (who investigated the child's disappearance). The trial started with the questioning of three witnesses - a Canadian and two Englishmen - who are "friends" of the McCann couple.

In statements to Lusa on Thursday, Isabel Duarte said that since the beginning, the McCann couple was open to reach an extrajudicial agreement with Gonçalo Amaral, but it was not possible to reach an agreement with the arguido.

Nonetheless, she stressed that the McCann couple's main goal was that the investigation into the child's disappearance was restarted, which, according to her, has already happened, without adding any further details or leads.

In a related process, the Civil Court of Lisbon decided, in January of 2010, to keep the prohibition of the sale of the book "Maddie: The Truth of the Lie", authored by Gonçalo Amaral, and of the video with the same title, based on a documentary that was broadcast by TVI.

The ban of the book and the video, which presents Gonçalo Amaral's thesis on the involvement of Kate and Gerry McCann in the disappearance of their daughter by concealing the cadaver, had been provisionally ordered on the 9th of September of 2009.

On the 19th of October of 2010, the Appellate Court of Lisbon annulled the decision of the Civil Court, after which the McCann couple appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice. In a ruling dated March 18, 2011, the Supreme Court confirmed the Appellate Court's decision.

Madeleine McCann disappeared on the 3rd of May of 2007, in an apartment in a holiday resort in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve, where she was spending a vacation with her parents and her twin siblings.

At that time, Gonçalo Amaral was the coordinator of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Judiciary Police in Portimão.

Kate and Gerry McCann, who have always stated that the child was abducted, were made arguidos in September, 2007.

The investigation was archived due to a lack of evidence in July of 2008, although the Public Ministry admits reopening it if new data concerning the child's disappearance surfaces.

by gbwales 13.09.13 20:49

sweetex wrote:
Ayniia wrote:
sweetex wrote:If someone could please translate for us (video clip)

I saw a translation not a good one though but according to that one it is not going well for the McCanns as it seems most of the effects on the kids and them that was discussed was BEFORE The publishing of the book. I could be wrong.

Anyone speaking Portuguese to help us with this one?

http://cmtv.sapo.pt/detalhe.aspx?channelID=34F5E1B7-BABF-4C08-83FC-20AF9E097CDA&contentID=793F0603-4A97-4A89-87E8-7173EB3D72A1
Basically the reporter said David Trickey testimony was refuted by GA defense because he only met with the twins and the parents once and all other contacts were by phone. Then he says a lawyer, who was with the Mccanns in Portugal between May and September 2007, gave testimony but the defense refutes as you say because what he witnessed was "BEFORE The publishing of the book."
Thank you!

Wow, they've messed up big time there!

by Guest 13.09.13 20:50

Sorry to confuse you, but I felt my present avatar is more me than the actress sported the last few days.

I miss Miss Pixy, the Iceland phenomenon Bjork I cowered behind before, though. Can't I have her back?

by Woburn_exile 13.09.13 20:53

jeanmonroe wrote:I'm waiting for Dave 'Grabbit' Edgar to explain why HE and 'Leggit' didn't find the 38 new leads in the files and why he didn't search the lawless villages in the land of the outlaws and search all the dungeon lairs that are there.

Perhaps he too was energetically defending himself, ergo, no time for ACTUAL 'searching'!

Can anybody see how ridiculous it is to call this no name as a witness in Portugal.
1. He has used this case to moneygrab.
2. He has spouted the party line in relation to abduction without any proof or indeed evidence that the abduction took place.
3. He is trying to tell the Portuguese high court that their country is lawless?

I'm sure any judge in this country would hoof him for contempt.

"Mr Edgar are you paid from the McCann fund (amount disclosed)?"
"Is it not a fact that if you did not drag this case out over years and accept the judgement of the PJ you would no longer be paid from the McCann fund"?

Absolutely crazy to consider him as a credible witness in a country that he holds no power of arrest or questioning of suspects against those who have these powers.

by Guest 13.09.13 20:53

Newintown wrote:
Newintown wrote:
gbwales wrote:I also wonder if it is to do with the quality of "evidence" but also I wonder if he has sent them away or if Team McCann have asked to go away and come back with some kind of quantifiable evidence?
What their lawyer says certainly leaves that as a possibility.
A lawyer for the McCann family said -

"We are going to propose that the witnesses give their testimonies in written form so they do not have to return from Britain again, but it is not certain that this will be accepted by the court," a lawyer for the McCann family told AFP."

Well, the family don't seem to be worried about backing up K & G when he's quoted the above line (underlined). It sounds like his talking about the same witnesses "so they do not have to return from Britain again" and not new witnesses. Surely the McCanns friends/witnesses can give a few days out of their lives (with all the money in Madeleine's fund for helping the "wider family" which can be used for hotels/air flights or anything they want, unless the money's run out of course).

If they haven't got the "quantifiable evidence" now, where are they going to find it in the future?
I amended by post so have bumped it up a bit because I wanted to add that I don't think you can add witnesses at a later stage while a court case is taking place, unless the rules are different in Portugal.

I went through a court case in the UK for 2 years and the Judge has to have all the relevant papers and witness statements some weeks before the court dates so that he can digest all of the information so that he can follow the evidence from one minute to the next. Even witness statements have to be typed up and signed in front of a legal representative (solicitor/lawyer) before they are sent to the Court. A file is made up of every paper submitted, every piece of evidence that has been put forward so that the file can be followed page by page by the Judge and the people giving evidence. It is referred to constantly throughout the trial.

Here too: all witnesses with first writ; no one else thereafter

by Ribisl 13.09.13 20:57

sweetex wrote:
tigger wrote:I expect the judge's problem is that he cannot accept written evidence from clan McCann. Would this not be a problem in the UK as well?
A bunch of people have registered as appearing in court, turned up and decided at the last minute that they'd rather leave a note for the judge. Consequently it would be difficult to cross examine them?
I could be wrong, but I understood that their lawyer suggested the notes/letters AFTER the case was suspended today. So they don't all have to fly back again to Portugal.

Isabel Duarte said that the hearing was suspended due to the judge's 'personal problem' whatever that means, and that the next trial sessions are scheduled for 19, 20 and September 27, continuing on 2 and 8 October and ending on 5 November.