At last the trial: Day four

Well today I was blog hopping and reading the newspapers and I found some information on the case and I thought that I would share my impressions of it all.
An alternate juror in the Harlow Cuadra capital murder trial in Luzerne County was excused due to illness. Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. identified the juror as alternate #3, a male who is a diabetic.Olszewski said the alternate juror's wife contacted the court last night to say her husband was ill. Olszewski said he spoke on the telephone with the alternate juror this morning, and was told the alternate juror became ill overnight. Due to the developments, Olszewski met with prosecutors and Cuadra's lawyers before trial proceedings, and it was agreed to excuse the juror and continue the trial with three alternate jurors.


Testimony continued Friday in the murder trial of Harlow Cuadra of Virginia. He is accused of killing Bryan Kocis in the Back Mountain in 2007.

Trooper Michael Boone, with the state police is a member of the forensic services unit, Friday morning. He testified that Kocis' home was severely damaged by a fire, and he found five loaded handguns inside the home.

An employee of ATT&T testified about phone records before the morning break.

Jurors saw crime scene photos and heard from several witnesses, including the man prosecutors said Cuadra and his partner, Joseph Kerekes, killed for.

Quickysrt who is at the trial added some commentary about the trial . he answered questions of the commenters on PC's blog

quickysrt said....
jim said... Quicky, how is the jury holding up, and reacting?I'm a bit worried the prosecution may be overdoing it a bit, and possibly boring the jury with excess trivial evidence.A burned door and TV hauled in, for example. Did that stuff actually have an impact on the jury?----

I guess the burnt items were to be discussed, but they just never got around to it with so many pictures shown. I'm sure today will be those items mentioned.The jury seems to be doing fine, a lot of people in court are coughing and one on the jury has a really rough sounding cough.Harlow glanced at many of the pictues and then looked away at his note pad, not looking very long at any of the pictures. He is taking notes through out and talking with his council during other testimony.




citizensvoice
Friday Sean Lockhart took the stand, he is a key witness for the prosecution. Lockhart is a gay pornography businessman and an actor. Lockhart told the court he and his partner agreed to work with police by wearing a hidden microphone. He told jurors he was under contract with Kocis and Cobra Video.

Sean Lockhart testified he had several "internet interactions" with Harlow Cuadra beginning in December 2006. Lockhart said Cuadra and he talked several times over MySpace, email and the phone. Cuadra was "eager" to work with Lockhart and offered to "pay you 10 K" for acting in his video. Lockhart, testified that Cuadra's partner, Joseph Kerekes, recorded the video on Black's Beach, a nude beach, on April 28, 2007. Lockhart said Cuadra and Kerekes were "opening up" about the murder. This made Lockhart upset, he testified, and he fell behind.
"Cuadra dropped back, he touched my arm and he said, 'don't worry, it was quick, he went quick,'" Lockhart testified while nearly sobbing.

Now I will interupt this tesimony and add my two cents. Sean Lockhart testified that he was under contract with Cobra Video, that was something that I would have thought the defense would have asked more questions about. During the the civil suit Sean and Grant said that the contract was unenforcable. Yet there is still the claim about him being under contract. What I also find intersting is that there was no mention about the validity of the Cobra Video contract that Sean spoke of.

He also spoke of his working underage for Cobra Video. But from what I gather he was not asked about how he obtained the fake ID he used. or how he was introduced to Bryan Kocis. There seems to have been no mention of Chris Henriquez during the trial. There has been much speculation on how he aquired that ID. But the subject was not brought up. There is also the statement of Bryan Kocis from the civil suit about the Id but that was not brought up either.

Lockhart further testified that he was "17" years old when he did "two shoots that were spread onto four DVDs," adding that his first film was for Cobra Video, operated by Bryan Kocis, 44. Lockhart, who is now 22, said he owns his own adult production company based in San Diego, Calif.

Judge PPO removed the jury and this took place:

WILKES-BARRE - Luzerne County Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. excused the jury to inquire if Sean Lockhart wanted a lawyer after Lockhart made "potentially incriminating" statements that he worked in adult films as a minor.
Lockhart was answering questions from Assistant District Attorney Michael Melnick about his background in adult films when Olszewski stopped the proceeding and excused the jury from the courtroom.
Olszewski cautioned Lockhart that he may have "incriminated himself criminally" by admitting under oath he provided a false identification and was performing in adult films while a minor.
Olszewski gave Lockhart several options, to include speaking with a lawyer or declining to speak with a laywer and continue to testify.
Lockhart declined to speak or have a lawyer, and Olszewski returned the jury to resume the trial.
Roy carried a recording device hidden in a key chain during the meeting, Lockhart said.
Cuadra's attorneys said Lockhart had a difficult relationship with Kocis and they said there is no recorded evidence that Cuadra admitted to knowing about the Kocis murder. But Cuadra’s statement doesn’t appear on the tape.“It’s not on the tape?” defense attorney Paul Walker asked during cross-examination.“Harlow pulled me back for discretion,” Lockhart said.

Walker questioned Lockhart on specifics of his communication with Cuadra, pointing to several instances when Kerekes was the one sending messages on Cuadra’s MySpace account.“It was Roy who first contacted Cuadra (about a film), correct?”“Yes,” Lockhart said.

A few days after Kocis died, Kerekes called Lockhart, he said, and then handed the phone to Cuadra who told him to go to WNEP-TV’s Web site, where the top story was the fire at Kocis’ Midland Drive home.“(Cuadra said) ‘I guess my guy went a little overboard,’” Lockhart said.

Walker, during cross-examination, had Lockhart reiterate his statement that Cuadra had said “his guy” went “overboard,” and not him.

Before Lockhart finished testifying, Luzerne County Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. held a sidebar with Lockhart to discuss his legal rights.

Lockhart admitted during testimony that he forged documents in order to act for Kocis when he was 17. Lockhart turned down legal counsel, saying he was aware of his right to not incriminate himself.


And now for some color comentary from Quikysrt:

quickysrt said....
Friday, February 27, 2009 6:45:00 AM
ok, well it was quite a moment in the week, a week which wrapped up with star witness Sean taking the stand.He arrived wearing a cherry red sweater, dark gray dress slacks, and crisp white collared shirt, he looked stunning. The pants were perfect fitting and his posture screamed confidence. It became apparent he was going to answer the questions his way, and even request that some questions be restated. Several times, he stopped to consider the wording of a question and asked if it could be repeated. He actually took control of the pace of his entire testimony. While he looked all of 17 years old, he showed some skill at handling this kind of stress no 17 y/o would have.The under age videos would be delved into in detail, what time frame his summers in PA, when he met Grant, and exactly what kind of relationship they had. Everything about Bryan's ideas for Sean's future with him, and the settlement which was going to be good for him financially and well as professionally both outside of Cobra, and with his own production company.And of course the Vegas dinner and all email, myspace, AIM, and cell phone correspondence with Harlow were gone over.I noticed that almost every seat has been taken while Sean is on the stand. Like word got out that this is the feature attraction or something. On cross exam. Sean's posture changed, he was just slightly more slumped in seat with arms bracing him up rather than his back being perfectly straight.But he still refused to let defense attorney put words into his mouth without adding his own reasoning to the record. Like 'you seem to be good at pretending to be into it" (after black's beach video was played in full) Sean answered that he knows when he "has" to do something, he does it, and he had to do this.btw, the video from the nude beach was surreal, to be seeing this full frontal nude video in court, it was 7 min. long but felt like 45 min. Harlow did not look at the screen at all during it, nor did his Mother. Normally you hear coughs in court, or bits of whispering now and again. During the play of this video is was deadly quiet, not one sound in the room at all.The point early on when asked about lying about his age for porn, he was stopped by the judge who asked him to consider a lawyer, consider not answering some questions without an attorney present, and offered him an attorney to be arranged.There was a break while jury left the room to discuss this with Sean. Sean decided that it had been five years with no criminal complaint against him, and that he should not worry now about the past, and just carry on. Jury returned and carry on he indeed did.It was pure balls, and I felt it gave his testimony even more edge. It also kept up the impression that Sean was running the show concerning his testimony. This court was not going to keep him from telling this story his own way.It was damaging for the defense, and on cross examination the only thing they managed to prove is that Joe made some of the myspace add friend requests to Sean's page.There were a few gasps, and laughs, like when the video title "Young Bucks In Heat" was mentioned. A few of us laughed and looked at each other.Unreal day, and unreal end to the week.
Friday, February 27, 2009 5:38:00 PM


Quicky also answered a nagging question that some still have.

quickysrt said.....
Well, I can say BB is NOT RW. After his testimony he sat in the court room and listened to the other witnesses of the day take the stand.During a break we talked and exchanged who we are. I asked so you are not BB? NO. Think Sean and Grant had anything to do with it? He just shook his head no. It was a ridicules question I wanted to ask once and be done with it.Robert was approachable and mild mannered. But he asked who I was, and so I didn't have to approach him.I spoke with Byran Kocis' family the first day I attended, it was his father who came up to me and asked who I was. He has since always waved hello when we pass when coming or going. When pictures of the house on fire were shown, BK's mother turned her head down, and his father kept looking but had to wipe away tears.I noticed each time pictures were shown of burnt out house and Bryan's body, the Kocis family were told to pleased leave. So the house on fire might have been the worst they have had to see in court. And it was hard for them.It was good that they left the room, as the pictures got more graphic, and eventually, after picture #80 got to autopsy photos showing stab wounds after body was cleaned. Defense objected to something, not sure what. But day of court was ended after endless series of pictures.The pictures were bad enough, but during lunch break, items of evidence were rolled in, including Bryan's front door and the front panel of big screen TV. They parked these items at first directly in front of the Kocis'. I felt awful about it sensing their reaction to these huge blackened items. They were later moved further away from where they had been.It seemed like hours of pictures shown. And their was after hours of other stuff like credit card statements, etc. It was a long day.
Friday, February 27, 2009 12:41:00 AM

Quicky also addressed questions as well.

quickysrt said.....
Geoff Harvard said... Quicky, you are going wobbly. What about the issue of Robert pimping Sean's body to an apparent Cobra client on or about July 4, 2004, when Sean was 17----

Both sides forgot to bring it up. Perhaps they are waiting until Sean takes the stand to get the matter aired in court? No... I doubt it.Interesting that Robert was the only high profile witness that sat down in court and listened to other's testimony after he left the stand.

Rob said... Quicky--Thanks for the in the court commentary.Sean was composed.Sean was confident in answering questions.The instigators of the correspondence to Sean and Grant were Harlow and Joe.My, my those shakey finances of Harlow and Joe's raises its head again. Joe hit on Sean because of the high Alexa ratings. Makes sense.As for the BB's prediction of Sean arrested, dust in the wind----

Exactly, Sean said on the stand that Harlow's rush for a production so quickly seemed "desperate". There was no cross exam on this point.And thanks Noah, a few kind bloggers made it possible for me to be the unofficial official something or another. We'll see how much more detail we can get.

Quicky srt reports this on Jim's blog

quickysrt said...
Sean was briliant on the stand! The bright red sweater as well as the whole look was a sharp clean presence. His response to each question showed a guy who is smart, and has indeed been around the block once or twice. I think the jury was impressed, I was, as was the person I sat with and left with. We both thought Sean earned many points on the truth scale.Sean called Harlow's productions poor, but thought he was a good performer in the videos he sent to them in San Diego. He thought of Harlow as a "good find." But that he needed to work out and firm up a bit if and when they might film together, so that "they both looked their best" in any filming they might do.He said after the Vegas dinner that he and Grant had no idea the both of them were "skewed" until the murder of Bryan was confirmed. This was after the fire was in the news. The body was not id'd until later.
February 27, 2009 10:57 PM


quickysrt said...
jim said... Very interesting. What was the jury/courtroom reaction when he got tearful over the "he went quick" comment? I have to imagine that was a moment.----

That was an emotional moment at trial for sure, but I thought that it was a description of the Crab Catcher event (when Harlow said it), and not one in the court.It was a damning moment for sure, nobody missed it.
February 28, 2009 4:30 AM

quickysrt said...
I had another talk with RW today during a break as he has been in court most of the day watching, and talking with BK's parents, another blog follower, and myself.I asked him what is the bad blood between yourself and S&G? He said that there are bloggers who have made statements against them that are attributed to him. I said so it is not you nor a friend or boyfriend or yours? He said no, as a matter of fact the DA asked that he not blog at all because it could harm the case.I then asked if he had seen Grant, and said hello, it is not me, shake his hand and walk away?He said as a matter of fact today I was walking by saw him, and it was an awkward moment, so I decided just to shake Grant's hand and say hello. He said it did not feel like Grant was completely accepting of this as a good kind gesture, but it was better than walking by with the awkwardness that was there.I said good, then you have done your end of it, and moved on, and good for you. Everybody needs to do that.I added that there must be nut cases out there saying things and attempting to ride the fame of someone else. There is no other reason.I really don't think RW has been saying shit about S&G all this time. It is "unmentionable" types out there basking in disputes and enjoying the rifts. We know there is one who has a Lite Bright page, and another who has been allowed to post around here. So why the fuck can there not be another (or one of the same) who wishes to make Grant and Sean miserable? It does make perfect sense. And this case has brought out of the woodwork some real works of art.I think I am correct, I did the leg work here.
February 28, 2009 4:46 AM

quickysrt said...
BB is not RW Grant. Just another nut case out there who wants the minimal amount of name recognition some other people have.It's the wanna-bes, and never-was that wish to leach off of others. The porn world is full of them, you should know by now.Let this one go the way of Kentie Loser. Forget it.
February 28, 2009 4:59 AM

So I guess we finally get the truth about the Wagner-BB connection. There is none BB is just what everyone has always thought, A kruezer wannabe. I guess we will have to wait until Monday to see anymore real action in this murder trail. I hope we get more info now that PC and Quicky are both on the seen. Quicky should get a job as a reporter since he gets to the bottom of what we all want to know.