Judge Robert Vanderet Permits Leonard Cohen To Testify About The IRS & Drugs - But Does Not Permit My Defense Witness Or Evidence That Cohen Had Drug Problems

Excerpts From Sidebar:

Judge Robert Vanderet:  I will tell you my strong view is I'm not going to delay the trial for Agent Tejeda [IRS Agent, Head of Fraud, Western Division of the United States].  You guys, whether you knew his name or not, you were well, aware of the relationship, if any, and I think it was quite tangential of the merits of the IRS thing long before the trial, and I'm not going to delay at this point the trial.  

NOTE:  Interesting logic on the part of the judge.  How would my lawyers or I know that my "intent to annoy" Leonard Cohen try (by requesting tax and business records, etc.) would turn into a mini-IRS trial with prosecutor Streeter attempting to sabotage me and my future litigation issues and clearly attempting to preserve Cohen's credibility.

Public Defender:  Your ruling is not that he's not precluded from testifying; it's that you won't delay the trial.

Judge Robert Vanderet:  I won't delay the trial.  I'll reserve judgment on whether I will allow him to testify.

Public Defender:  I've done some research on Mr. Cohen and he's in the past made interviews about having used legal and illegal drugs.

Judge Robert Vanderet:  No we're not going to get into the issue of his drug use.

NOTE:  WHy let the truth into LA Superior Court when lies, fraud, perjury, and concealment work so beautifully.