Latest leaked video drama from Vandenburg attorney Albert Perez

Of course! Of course Albert Perez, the California defense attorney whose defense game plan for Brandon Vandenburg, ringleader of Vanderbilt’s football player gang-rape attack on his date; resulted in Brandon Vandenburg’s conviction on on all charges – had to do something.

After all, Perez’s plan also resulted in suffering a career drubbing on a national scale.

So what did Perez do?

California defense attorney, Albert Perez

He requested a lie detector test for all the parties who had access to the leaked videos featured on ABC’s 20/20  – including attorneys for also charged Brandon Banks and JaBorian McKenzie; for which no trial date has been set!

Nashville’s DA Glen Funk quickly responded!

Statement on Lie Detector test request from Nashville DA

Perez offered his appreciation by press release!

So yes!  Drama!  But since I’m tired of exclamation points at this point; it is worth mentioning lie detector tests aren’t permissible in court.

But hey.  Since there is already much ado about nothing – currently in the form of discussions about the setting of the testing; including suggestions for a neutral Federal courthouse.  (Really!)

Think about that – a neutral courthouse – for a minute.

However, since Perez has been grasping at straws from Day One, why stop now?

Also, decorum.  Should we notice Perez is calling the shots rather than the authorities who oversee the authorities stepping to investigate?  Or, for the more pragmatic, wasting tax dollars on testing that’s inadmissible in court?  After all, leaked video footage is not going to impact Perez’s client since Judge Monte Watkins, who will be sentencing Vandenburg and Batey, watched the video at trial.

Which begs the question; if anyone is truly outraged, wouldn’t it be the attorneys for Banks and McKenzie?

Hoopla Plus!

Meanwhile, former licensed therapist Dr. Phil, whose guests have occasionally sued him, jetted to Nashville for a sit-down with Corey Batey to begin the ‘healing process.”

I can’t imagine Batey’s attorney allowing this.  (I turned down Oprah for a client involved in a bizarre accident who was finally beginning to recover.  My thought was my client’s client, an adorable teenager, would feel good for a while…sitting on the couch and chatting with Oprah about how swell her recovery was coming along;  but if she did I imagined the Defense would open with the clip at trial, and all those warm fuzzies from meeting Oprah would evaporate before the eyes of her hard-working attorney.)

Also, really stupid criminals shouldn’t go on Dr. Phil because then they get arrested and go to prison.

Finally, when it comes to healing, does this suit by distraught parents look like Dr. Phil is involved in any real healing?  (I remember Dr. Phil suddenly showing up in Britney Spears hospital room when Britney was experiencing her breakdown a few years ago.  As ill as Spears was at the time, she had sense enough to have Dr. Phil thrown out of the hospital.)

In fairness, Dr. Phil’s been in show business for the last 15 years; and February is sweeps, so of course – some come running.

Last, it turns out John Herbison, a former attorney of Vandenburg’s – who was suspended for a variety of serious reasons – failing to communicate with two clients and not filing  an appeal for a third, (after having taken the death of his wife pretty hard) is now writing his take on the trial on message boards.

“I am John Herbison, and I have previously identified myself on comment threads as one of the defense lawyers who has represented Brandon Vandenburg (although I am not presently speaking in that capacity). I have been associated in practice with Fletcher Long for some time now, and we have a much longer history of trying cases together.”

While doing so isn’t legally over-the-line, it’s also not the smartest move.  I mean, why would Herbison waste his knowledge on message boards when he could dash off a book?

Meanwhile, and absent definitive court hearings, we can expect drama will continue.