Trial Musings 7: Grant "Cuadra Convicter" Roy Takes The Stand

As reported on PC's blog, prosecutors have been questioning Grant this morning, and are now beginning to play the CCTs and BBTs.

Thus far, no huge surprises...but one tidbit of trivia was revealed: That the Crab Catcher recordings were made possible by a "recording device Roy wore on his belt buckle."

Also interesting:

"After Kocis was killed, Roy told the jury that Cuadra called Lockhart and referred him to wnep.com on Jan. 25, 2007.

"Lockhart was concerned that we were next," Roy testified. During that phone call on Jan. 25, Lockhart had testified Cuadra said to him, "I guess my guy went overboard.""

I guess they are going to play hours of tapes for a while, then get into defense cross-examination. I am curious to see if they'll try to bring up the disputed "Caleb Carter" incident with Grant, as I speculated they might.

Developing...

Update: While we await developments, here's an artistic interlude...the large mural painting above the bench in Harlow trial Courtroom Two...

A decorative panel painted by W. T. Smedley, placed over the Judge’s bench in Court Room No. 2.

Update 2: Hmmm, this is interesting; Grant told Harlow and Joe at the Vegas dinner suspicions would have been reciprocal, regardless of who died:

"“I told them ‘If something happened to Bryan, they’re going to show up at my door the next day. If something happened to either one of us they’re going to show up at his door the next day,’” Roy said."

In other words, had Harlow and Joe killed Sean and/or Grant instead, for over two years we would have been hearing" "Bryan Kocis has blood on his hands!!!!!!"

Update 3: Ah, and here is more on what Grant told them regarding the settlement agreement:

"“Harlow and both Joe seemed a little eager to get this production under way,” Roy said. “I didn’t see the need to rush. At various times, I expressed to them I didn’t think it’d be a problem if we could get out from this mediation (with Kocis).”

Roy said a settlement between Lockhart and Kocis was nearly finished. The settlement would allow Lockhart to act again under his screen name Brent Corrigan. Because the settlement was still being negotiated, Roy said, he couldn’t reveal that information to Cuadra or Kerekes. But as the seven-course dinner progressed, he said, both men were drinking excessively and became more insistent.

“(Kerekes) said, ‘Harlow has this guy who will do anything for him,'” Roy testified. Roy said he took this statement to mean murder.

Roy’s testimony was stopped for a brief recess...."

It sounds like my earlier guess was pretty darn close:

"I believe what happened at the dinner was, Sean and Grant politely listened to Harlow and Joe's drunken sales pitch (complete with breaking glassware), nodded their heads a lot...and then more or less gave Harlow and Joe the brush off. And they used the current settlement talks with Bryan as a convenient brushing excuse (ie, "...well, sounds good, but we have to wrap up this lawsuit thing, so, maybe sometime, ok? We'll call you later. And thanks for dinner!")."

Update 4: Off topic: Witness Renee Martin threatens blogger Elmysterio: "El sure dont want me to tell all the shit I know on him cause that would make heads fly." (1:48pm).

Update 5: Looks like we're done for the day; CCTs played, BBTs tomorrow. Quicky has a brief courtwatcher comment over on PC's thread (6:52pm). Meanwhile, back in San Diego, life goes on...

Update 6: Grant on cross-examination now; via PC's blog:

"3:09 PM: The Times Leader reports adult film producer Grant Roy said he believes his profession of producing gay pornographic movies is "an art."

Roy made the commnets while being questioned by Harlow Cuadra's attorney, Joseph D'Andrea.

D'Andrea is attacking Roy about his profession, suggesting Roy makes money by selling sex involving young men."

Attacking Roy about his profession? Really? An intriguing defense strategy. I wonder if the jury is looking at Harlow during this?

Someone remind me, what kind of work was Harlow involved in again? I THINK it had something to do with making money, selling...um, something...involving, um, some people...darn it, I wish somebody would jog my memory here!

Update 7: And the Times Leader finishes up with a few additional details from the cross-examination of Grant Roy. No real bombshells here; main points seem to be

1) Grant fully admitted on the stand he had motive up the wazoo to kill Bryan Kocis. He talked freely about the bogus trademark lawsuit, the CCBill freeze, the 'Cobra Killer' blog...he even candidly admitted to investigators he wanted Kocis dead, during one of the six interviews with police.

2) Grant begun to answer "reluctantly" when the topic switiched from motive to the tapes. After a bit of badgering, D'Andrea got Grant to say the obvious: That Harlow never specifically said "I killed Bryan!" Melnick came back and got Grant to state the equally obvious: That Harlow described the moment Bryan died.

3) The defense apparantly tried to get Grant to admit Joe was the one who was doing most of the "pressuring" to film; Grant testified it was both.

I'd like to get Quicky's take on this (he was there, right?), but my overall impression is that the cross-examination was a bit of a lost opportunity. Since Grant was willing to be so chatty and open about the bad blood that existed between him and Bryan, they should have just run with that; and not wasted time with obvious stuff (Harlow on the tapes), subjective stuff (Joe's influence) and silly stuff (attacking Grant for being a filmmaker of the same ouevre as Harlow).

Update 8: From the Citizen's Voice; Grant also clarified what went down during the legendary "hit man" conversation:

"During cross-examination, Roy also admitted to saying several times he wanted to kill Kocis, because of the very heated negotiations about Lockhart’s working status. Roy also said a model who worked for him referred to hiring a hitman to kill Kocis, but he laughed it off.

“You said if you were going to kill him you would do it yourself?” D’Andrea asked.

“Yes,” Roy responded.

“That’s how bad the blood was between you?” D’Andrea asked.

“There was some pretty heavy things (said) at the time,” Roy said."