# Was everyone asleep at this trial?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-everyone-asleep-at-this-trial/4499>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [March 3, 2000, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-everyone-asleep-at-this-trial/4499 "2000-03-03T17:00:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-everyone-asleep-at-this-trial/4499/1 "2000-03-03T17:00:00Z")

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[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/2000-03/02/160l-030200-idx.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/2000-03/02/160l-030200-idx.html)

A man is on trial for murder in a state where the death penalty is not only an option, it’s fairly common. So what does his court appointed lawyer do? Falls asleep- not once- but **several** times during the trial. The judge, jury, prosecutor(s), defendant, baliff, and everyone else there did nothing. As a result of this (and the prosecution’s failure to meet the 120 day deadline for a new trial), we could _potentially_ have a killer out free.

I’m not claiming that the defendant is guilty or innocent but this boggles the mind. If I’m the defendant and my lawyer has fallen asleep the first time, I’m forcing him to drink Jolt for the rest of the trial. why wouldn’t the judge (or anyone else) not wake this guy? He looked too peaceful?

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**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2000, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-everyone-asleep-at-this-trial/4499/2 "2000-03-04T06:54:00Z")

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Wow- if I didn’t read that myself, I never would have believed it! Truely bizarre.  
Zette

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“If I had to live your life, I’d be begging to have someone pop out both my eyes. Just in case I came across a mirror.” - android209 (in the Pit)  
[Zettecity](http://www.angelfire.com/ny3/zettecity/index.html)  
Voted “Most Empathetic”- can you believe that?

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**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-everyone-asleep-at-this-trial/4499/3 "2000-03-03T20:32:00Z")

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Now wouldn’t it be ironic if more people in Texas avoid the death penalty because their lawyers were asleep on the job than receive clemancy from George Dubya.  
Keith

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**Author:** ![Frankie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@Frankie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankie)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-everyone-asleep-at-this-trial/4499/4 "2000-03-03T21:19:00Z")

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But don’t forget, Dubya has never signed the death warrant of an innocent man.

hahahaha yah right!

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-Frankie  
I’m a wholesale dealin papa, but I retail on the side.-Brownie McGhee

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**Author:** ![Abner\_Normal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@Abner\_Normal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abner_Normal)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2000, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-everyone-asleep-at-this-trial/4499/5 "2000-03-04T03:34:00Z")

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Ain’t gonna go free…  
[http://cnn.com/2000/US/03/03/texas.inmate/index.html](http://cnn.com/2000/US/03/03/texas.inmate/index.html)