COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE: Criminal Lawyer Reacts to the Horrible Cross Exam. of Murdaugh Law Partner 

This witness was devastating to the defense by quite obviously being everything that Alex was not in terms of character. He has my deepest admiration.

Anyone else leave Bruce Rivers on before bed like ASMR?

LMAO this lawyer made the cross look like a sketch from SNL. I mean, he was totally lost and grasping.

Is the defense attorney asking stupid questions so that Alex can appeal on a mistrial?

I know, right. I can't count the number of times I have had to do a double take as to which side the lawyers talking to a witness are on. They ask questions that are to the benefit of the other side with no future payoff.

This witness buried this lawyer, who came across as a very honest and upstanding.

I know more about hogs from this trial than anything else they talked about.

Remind me never to hire Dick Harpootlian. Terrible litigator.

Harpootlian was there because of family connections over the years. He was originally called to defend Paul in the boat case .

They did not sequester their witnesses

I can't imagine how bored the jury was having to listen to this shit because I'm almost bored to tears

I think Poot is exhausted and frustrated. And he’s old school.

This was a very difficult cross to watch. The attorney on the stand has been through hell because of AM. He is answering honestly despite the defense trying to annihilate his character. He has maintained his dignity and honor that comes with the original friendship that has now been destroyed. Shame on the defense attorney, very disturbing behavior.

Poot asks silly questions to muddle our heads. He pretends he doesnt know ...but its purposeful. His rude attitude was dealt with brilliantly by the witness while keeping his values. Well done Sir

I think that witness used to be Alex’s best friend. It must be very difficult getting through it all and wondering/believing more and more your friend killed his wife and son.

I see you and seriously paying attention to you, then all of a sudden ,you say something like..,"there wouldn't be nothing fucken left of the bird," then you go on to your serious side, like you never said what you just said. Anyways, your down to earth and no airs about you..thank you.

14:48 Bless this Gentleman on stand.😟 Such a sweetheart! The bigger man by far! Lured to the crime scene along with many others by Alex to the to contaminate it unknowingly to him.

Seems like the lawyer misread the witness. He was trying to imply that the witness was making shit up to get back at the defendant. Except the Witness has too much credibility/integrity for that to work, and it rebounds on the defendant.

I really liked Mr. Crosby. He's a reasonable man with a good temperament. The cross just made me sad. Alex was blessed with so many friends, and he betrayed every one of them.

I'm a nobody 62yr. old woman that knows nothing about law but I can SWEAR I would NEVER hire this Defense Attorney.He wants to do things still the way he did in the 50s

I literally busted out laughing when Bruce said he'd object to his own question.

It's like he had a plan at the start but when the witness answered in a way he didn't like, he kept trying to change it so that he would get a specific answer to a question he couldn't articulate properly. He then spent the next few minutes running around the car lot randomly because he couldn't decide which car to chase (which is sad because they were all parked).

Could the problem be that Alex was so used to the good old boy Network and relationships with influential people getting him off of things that he chose a lawyer who had great connections instead of a lawyer who was great at trying criminal cases?

This cross was so transparent and ridiculous. Ronnie handled it like a gentleman and firmed my position even more: guilty.

I agree with every point you made. And no, if I was the prosecutor in this case, I would NOT have objected. I would have sat there chortling in my joy as I watched defense counsel reaching for the toilet handle and flushing himself down the bowl.

It is true. It was a horrible cross, very cringy. He messed with the wrong one and I think he lost the jury too.. he looked straight like a bully. Especially after the cross with the medical examiner!!!

“Why the F&*% would you ask that?” I LOVE BRUCE! I screamed out the very same thing! Sheesh.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for addressing this pas de deus. I thought Poot was either 1.) so brilliant that the rest of us mere mortals were unable to appreciate his genius, or 2.) Poot is certifiably beyond his “best by” date.

Alex’s own lawyer is loudly announcing to the jury what a lowdown, lying snake his client is, this is hilarious

I’m just here to say that the entire family is villainous and that Bruce rivers just broke down your case. Also this lighting and quality look very clear. Before it was a bit warm and this is more crisp

I think the cross was a huge success: he managed to reinforce to the jury that his client is a two-faced, unreliable, double crossing conman who has cost people fortunes and doesn't seem to give a shit.

Ronnie Crosby and Mark Ball were both excellent witnesses. They have been through hell bc of Alex. A man they trusted, worked with, and had a close relationship described as a brotherhood for decades. This entire situation has been devastating to them; the betrayal and deceit, and losing 2 people they loved. Even if they do hold some anger, which is definitely valid and human, it’s still horrific for them to be on the stand, and in no way is their testimony out of anger or vindictiveness. Poots insinuation that Crosbys testimony is biased, and he’s only up there because Alex stole from him was way out of line. These men actually have integrity, and take great heed to the oaths theyve taken as attorneys and as witnesses. Just listening to them testify broke my heart, and I simply cannot fathom how broken theirs are. Poot, the guy who is “honored” to represent Alex needs to do some self reflection.

This is interesting. I've listened to many attorneys and people and they are saying that Harpootlien did an excellent spicy cross examination and the witness did a terrible job. 🤔I like your explanation better.

I've read a couple of studies that say that most people who go through a trauma, their memories are cemented and that's the part of ptsd that's so hard to overcome. They can't forget

What a great witness. Imagine what he has gone through before and after the murders. Very credible. Respect.

I actually liked this lawyer on the stand. I think he did a good job. Showed contempt and disdain for the defence lawyer, which he deserved.

Not every attorney graduates at the top of his class. This - was a prime example!

This man he was cross examining is a TRUE MAN! If I need a lawyer I’m going to this South Carolina lawyer . He has integrity and forgiveness in his heart.

OMG Bruce is so funny. "There would be nothing left of the f****ing bird". Laughing my butt off.

Thank you for covering this case! Omg Poot was a piece of work on cross, made himself look like a bully! “Do you think he did it?” OMG are you kidding me?!? Side bar- This has been the trial that NEVER ENDS! I thought the state did a good job in their closing today...

Poot is unhinged and has acted an entire fool this whole trial. It is embarrassing

Poot loves the sound of his voice and his fee. He is just as arrogant as Alex. This is a match made in Heaven.

I love how this trial highlighted how bad of a lawyer Dick Harpootlian really is!!!

I enjoyed your example of what not to do, he completely lost me talkin about the hogs if I was in the jury box my mind would just shut off! It just kept getting worse, your expressions just crack me up, I enjoy your podcast so much thank you very much 👍♥️

is there a way to get the volume on ur end a tiny bit higher, off all the videos i watch through the day everyday, ur videos stand out by being the quietest, its not crazy bad but its enough where i go to other videos if the furnace turns on, idk maybe its just me, love ur stuff homie

I wonder if Poot knew that Crosby would respond this way and was trying to make it look like Crosby was still mad at Alex…when the questioning was trying to attack his character and integrity. To me it was clear that Crosby was mad about the line of questioning.

This witness gave a very clear answer to the questions about how he felt about the betrayal of Alec and the embezzlement. His voice was strong and his words unambiguous, so trying to push him to say he was still angry and therefore biased was stupid. It was ego motivating him to believe that he could best another lawyer.

I felt Poot gave the jury to see how a man reacts when he's unjustly accused. Something they hadn't seen, especially when Murdaugh was on the stand.

17:27 "This guy is sympathetic as [heck], and he's been through [heck], both financially and when he went to the scene." And when he was attacked by the defense attorney for testifying to the truth.

I think it’s nice they’re giving this older gentleman an excursion from the retirement home he lives at. I’m sure it’s made him really happy these past weeks being out and about talking to people. 😂😂😂😊😅

The problem for Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin is they are used to fighting with the opposition having their arms tied behind their backs and blindfolded. They have never had to work hard, because their work has largely been successful based on their position of power, based on who they are, who they know, and that whole system of good ol’ boy relationships. And all their prior court cases and negotiations have taken place in the dark. But now the sunlight is shining down on everything they are doing-they are not used to that-and they did not get the judge they thought they had arranged to get. Judge Clifton Newman is not going to give them what they want just because of who they are or who their client is. And I would argue this is the first case EVER they’ve had to try under these circumstances. And their client was also sure that he was going to get bail, he wasn’t even thinking he’d be charged or that his story would be questioned at all. And that’s why Dick, Jim and Alex are really , REALLY struggling.

I’m so glad I’m not the only one that thinks that this cross examination went off the rails lol

😂#2 if you do hit it there’s nothing left of the fucking bird lol 😂 it was hilarious when Bruce said this and also when he said, why did he say that? If I said that then I would object to my own fucking question lol. I found this one to be so freaking humorous. Love these videos. ❤

Thank you so much for addressing this! This had to be a huge red flag for the jury.

I thought ol Poot might have had a stroke and was just babbling. He struggled and stumbled. It was like a wide scatter shot. You might actually hit something. Poot tried to rattle Crosby and he failed. Poot is a jerk.

Ya, very bad cross-exam by the defense. That lawyer testifying was spot on! It almost seemed to me when I watched it earlier today, I thought Harpoolian sounded almost like a prosecutor. lol Thank you from the other side.

I’m so happy you did an episode on this!! Poot blew his too!!Ronnie did great!

ahahaha i love Bruce's reaction when the lawyer asks "do you think he did it?" 😂 hearing that myself i think my jaw dropped 😂

What in hog heaven was this man thinking? This trial was so clunky. I hope the jury can wade through this guy's pond of muddy questioning.

This was infuriating! He really made this witness look good!

Did the prosecution not object because they felt perhaps Poot was making a fool of himself fumbling the cross examination?

I've felt on several occasions, that the defence team has been very poorly prepared, in terms of long times between questions while messing with papers, bad initial questions, and ineffective reply questions. I have thought several times that they look like school students doing a bad job in a mock trial! Very concerning when two ppl have been killed and another's life is on the line!

The defense attorney was GASLIGHTING

Mr Rivers, none of the witnesses were sequestered. And it has added to the circus this trial has become. Thank you for the coverage.

Hey Bruce! I watched that and WOW. HarPOOPlian is such a loser! Ronnie Crosby has already testified and he actually cried over Paul, it was so sad, one of the saddest moments in this trial. Harpooplian looks like a flaming drunk, he needs to go have a hit of booze and call it a day. All I can say is I’m SURE this did not go over well with the jury. Love your vids and You Bruce you are so smart and interesting to listen to!

How could the jury possibly remember over 70 witnesses when they can’t take notes?

2:54 Thank you for explaining the difference between cross vs direct examination. When in cross examination this attorney is grand standing and making statements, followed by: "Didn't you?" He comes across as hostile. As a former jury fore'woman in a trial, I witnessed this style of cross examinations and every person on the entire jury mentioned this in deliberations. In the case I was in; the lawyer was so long winded and looking for a "zinger" it really made us dislike the lawyer all together, unfortunately. The states prosecution against the defendant in my case resulted in a not guilty verdict. The case pertained to grand theft of large machinery in the amount of over 20k. The defendant was a free man just in time for Easter Sunday. The state also illegally harassed and followed the defendant by placing tracers on multiple vehicles without warrants (which included vehicles of witnesses for the defense), this was proven in court by the defense attorney with evidence. The case took place in Minnesota. 😬 Really made me think differently about the state of MN prosecutors office differently.

Btw these witnesses were allowed to listen to each other's testimony. They weren't sequestered which is so weird.

I have a handful of lawyers that I watch on RU-vid related to Kohberger and Murdaugh. I really appreciate your honest and plain-talking perspective. It’s refreshing.

I watch the trial on the law nerd with Emily and then I wait for your reactions for the jokes. Love it!

This should be used as teaching tool, what not to do on cross examination! Thank you! ❤️

At this point, they're going to need to issue whiskey shots to the jurors to keep them from going insane. And maybe also to all the folks watching and covering this mess, too.

Poot said he couldn't look beyond that ( stolen money) yet, at the beginning of this trial he stated that it is an HONOR to represent his client. 😳

The cross was horrible but Alex was destroyed in closing statements by the prosecution today: they obviously wasted too much time and should have just driven home that he’s a liar buried beneath his own inconsistencies and he was at the scene of the murders at the time of the murders and is a consummate liar, they failed to nail him on that in cross but I believe they made up for it in closing statements and he should be found guilty

I wish I could afford Bruce. Even for a traffic ticket just to have him walk in with me. RESPECT Bruce ✊✊✊🔥

This is why Poot is not doing the defense closing argument. I’ll bet for sure he was going to originally.

if there is a way to increase ur audio volume, it would be much appreciated!! i listen to you in the shower while im getting ready for work.. thanks for all u do!!

I love Bruce Rivers!! So accurate and precise with excellent legal advice!

That old lawyer is past his prime. I'm up to Day 11 in replay of the trial so far, and that lawyer annoys me like crazy. He's fluff, disorganised, doesn't remember things, loses his track of thought & takes ages to find it again (if ever), he's out of touch of new technology which wastes everyone's time as he asks stupid questions because of his lack of understanding, etc. I think he's starting to get dementia, or else this complicated trial case is just too much for him. He's an embarrassment, and it might just cost them the case (although I think AM's crimes, amount of crimes & possibly his guilt of allegedly killing his family might lose him the case, even without this fumbling, past-it lawyer. Surely there's a stage where someone has to step in & say he can't do cases any more? Can't his licence be taken from him if he has signs of dementia? And yes, he definitely grandstands. If AM loses, could he try for an appeal, based on his lead lawyer's failing mind (but that would need a medical diagnosis, not opinion)? I felt sorry for this witness. He seemed like an absolutely lovely man. He was broken up over losing young Paul like that, who he saw as a son/nephew (& young Paul called him "Uncle Ron"). Comparing this trial to the Depp/Heard trial, wow. They had a time limit (which Heard's lead female lawyer wasted by asking everyone the same questions 101x each). Depp's team were absolutely amazing, especially compared to this old guy's fluffing around. I've watched the Depp vs Heard trial (my 1st), a bit of 1 Alex Jones' trial (yikes, i couldn't stand his voice & whining to watch any more of him), then the Christmas Parade Massacre (I've already forgotten his name) - the creep was whining & obnoxious, a real narcissist & sociopath, etc, but the judge handled that well. In fact both that judge & Depp's judge were amazing. Now I'm watching this trial. This judge is so different. He's extremely mellow (almost too mellow - especially compared with the lady judges I've seen). Yet, he's getting annoyed with this past-his-prime lawyer, the disorganisation, forgetting this, not understanding things, etc. (In fact, this lawyer is getting somewhat hard-of-hearing.) This judge isn't standing for AM's team's rubbish. I just hope that this old lawyer's failing mind isn't going to be a cause for AM to appeal, should he lose his case. Yet, buyer beware. The old guy was old before the trial started. As a collegial lawyer, shouldn't AM have known? Anyway, a verdict will be reached any day, long before I've finished catching up on this case. Nevertheless, it's interesting... in a bad way. It's so complex & multifaceted, although this trial is based on the murders, not trying his theft & other crimes. Thanks for showing your reaction to this clip. Cheers! 😁👍🇦🇺

FINALLY thank you Bruce for pointing out what this idiot did!!!! You ALWAYS tell it like it is ❤❤❤❤

I thought he helped the prosecution with this witness.The more he questioned the more he helped the other side.I was telling him to be quiet for his own good

Mr Crosbys ratings for his firm will now go sky high- A Lawyer with emence integrity and compassion- Thx Poot.

This defense attorneys was a jerk to someone else too. He also was representing Paul in the boat accident. He’s used to bullying people on the stand who probably get all screwed up emotionally and say what he wants. You would have thought that he would have been smart enough to know that an attorney would not be bullied like that.

Watching this again with your context is great. I liked this guy as a witness for the state and he probably did more damage on cross for defense.

I love it when you tie your e-sign plugs with the current topic your talking about. E-sign should sponsor a two minute segments for you for radio. You give a two minute hot take on a legal topic, syndicate for a national audiance.

I’ve practiced law for 17 years, and have been out of court practice for the last 4. My first reaction to Harpootlian was: oh they brought him off the golf course to try to defend this case because of his name. He has obviously been out of practice for some time now. His tussle with Attorney Crosby was painful to watch.

WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU ASK THAT.... You Dude, you made my day!... I could have never done criminal defense work because you have to decouple from the truth. That said my hat's off to folks who can do it and keep their internal integrity....ie. walk with dogs but don't pick up flees. Great youtube channel!

I watched this cross and was scratching my head bc it was so unbelievably useless. Apparently that lawyer wasn't sure wtf he was after either. It was bizarre.

Welcome to the Dick Harpotlian show. He’s setting up a good appeal for ineffectiveness of council because AM’s lawyers have blundered through this entire pre trial and trial.

My favorite RU-vid channel!!!! Thank you for such great analysis and content 😊

If I was a juror in a 5 week trial there would be nothing more infuriating than a lawyer wasting my time with ridiculous questions.

Hey Bruce, great video. This coss is just awful. It's so dumb to attack the witness like this. Side note, can you turn your audio up a little? I struggle to hear you guys even with my audio maxed out when I'm driving or in any moderately loud environment.

The witnesses in this case are not sequestered they are allowed to set there and watch . And jury can't take notes either

If I wanted to hire a hitman to shoot my wife and kid, and he needed a contract signed first, could I use esign or is that traceable?

I’m telling this prosecution needs Camille Vasquez!!! (From the Johnny Depp trial) She was so focused and to the point! And she knew detailed testimony like the back her hand.

Poot you done f---ed up. Thank goodness he's not doing the closing argument.

You are my favorite lawyer to watch!

Bruce, the witnesses weren't sequestered. It was totally bizarre! I've never seen that. But everybody testifying was allowed to just sit in and listen to everybody else. And the attorneys would reference back to other people's testimony, and so would the witnesses, sometimes! There were just so many weird things going on in this SC court. 🙄😒

This trial just seems so hokey despite the severity of the crime.

The Defendant's Attorney is an Idiot. Remind of that Law Firm's name so to Never Call them if I needed an Attorney in the Low Country of SC. I would hire the Company that No Longer Bares the Murdough name. This Witness is honest as the day is long and if he said "I will always have a twang of hard Feelings against Alex because of what he did to the Law Firm, His Clients, Our Clients, to his own family, to the community and to my family by being a Low Life Piece of Trash, Drug Head, Theif, Lying POC but I would never go to Court and be sworn in and lie under oath much less any place else when I say I don't hate Alex nor do I hold a grudge because I have already forgiven him and that took alot of soul searching. But I will Never Forget and as a Human I will always be beturbed about it all. And I would Never Lie because he has dug him more and deeper holes without me having to lie."