Trial lawyers know well and good, that a witness is only as good as how he or she performs on cross-examination . Direct examination usually rehearsed over and over again is "a walk in the park " compared with the pressure , stress, fatigue and hostility that a strong cross-examination will bring. I actually had a witness leave the stand during a break on my cross , who never came back to the witness stand and was never heard from again.
Well this scenario was never more telling than in the testimony of "Prosecution star witness ", Andy Pettitte . Pettitte , as expected on direct examination said that in 1999-2000 Clemens told him that he used HGH . On cross-examination , Pettitte testified there was a 50 percent chance he could have been mistaken . Oh my God!
The Prosecution team probably sh_t a collective brick . Case may have just gone down the tubes too . Could the Prosecution have anticipated this ? Did they intentionally turn a "blind (deaf, dumb and blind) eye to this possible response ?
I'll tell you this . If the jury discounts Greg McNamee as a chronic liar, they CANNOT convict Clemens on Pettitte's "I don't really remember testimony ".
And remember, Judge Walton hasn't liked this case from the beginning!
Scoop Goldman reporting.
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