The State of Florida has filed a response to the defense sanctions motion regarding their attempt to block videotaping of Witness #8 “DeeDee” during deposition in the George Zimmerman Case.
The response motion to the court is filled with a laugh out loud admission of their incompetence in the attempt to block videotaping. Bernie De La Rionda opines that he never paid any attention to the “intent to videotape” the deposition and whines that no-one else was video taped – therefore he didn’t expect it.
BDLR compains that he should not be sanctioned for his obstruction – despite the court ruling that videotaping was appropriate and the defense team adequately informed the State of their intention ahead of deposition session.
Thoughts: As expected the initial court ruling on the date of deposition was in favor of the defense – subsequently it will be difficult (difficult but not impossible) for the Judge to rule in favor of the State regarding the sanctions. She already found the defense had appropriately fulfilled statutory requirement.
The response motion is fraught with anxiety from the State and the unwritten message is their angst about feeling snookered by the defense. The tone of writing is notably diminished from the prior responses – and you get the sense there is a concern about having also lost their leverage from operation Q-Beam’s success.