David Boies begins re-direct of Plaintiffs witness (and asked-to-be-withdrawn defendant-intervenor Dr William Tam.
Boies: When did the campaign phase for Prop 8 begin?
T: In the fall
B: Here’s a memo dated July 2008, was that in the campaign phase?
T: Yes, that was the beginning of the campaign
B: And here’s a memo from August 2008, shows you attending a grassroots weekly meeting, this was part of the campaign phase, yes?
T: YEs
B: You told Moss on cross that you only met with people from Schubert Flynt a few times, do you remember that?
T: No
B: You said "rare, only a few times"
T: YEs, I said that
B: BUt these weekly meetings were run by the SFlynt folks, right?
T: I did not know who ran them
B: You participated every week
T: NOt every week, but six or seven
B: But SFLynt was on these meetings?
T: FRANKLY I DON’T KNOW WHO WAS ON, THEY ALL SOUND ALIKE, ENGLISH IS NOT MY MOTHER TONGUE
B: Announcements of the calls came from SFLynt, right?
T: YEs
B: Minutes of the mtg came from SFlynt?
T: Yes
B: Exhibit 2599, please. This is minutes of a grassroots weekly meeting during the campaing phase, that came from SChubertFLynt?
T: Yes
B: And this talked about 1man1woman.com, means .net I think
T: YEs it does
B: PX2504, 10/29/2008, during the campaign phase, correct?
T: Yes
B: Communications between you and PM.com, correct?
T: Yes
Walker: There have been some redactions here, is that material?
B: They might be material to permit the court to evaluate, and I would ask the court to look at in camera.
MOss: We would think we’d have to see it to tell if we can provide a unredacted copy.
Boies: Look at 2185, please Dr Tam? TFC News Bulletin, correct?
T: YEs
B: This follows the passage of Prop 8?
T: YEs
B: "TFC was allied with PM.com" Do you see that?
T: Could you point to where I could see that?
B: Look at the box on the side?
T: YEs
B: Where is says "allied with Protect Marriage.com"
T: Yes
Boies: PX2187, wrt you assertion that you were not closely working with PM.com, October 2008 is the campaign phase, yes?
T: Yes
B: and this flyer was cosponsored by PM.com and TFC, your group?
T: YEs
B: Did PM.com reimburse you for tv, radio, and print ads?
T: They reimbursed not me, the people, the organization that placed the ads.
B: I;m sorry say agian please
T: They reimbursed some people who ran tv ads and print ads.
B: Did they reimburse Traditional Families COaliition?
T: No, these were Chinese people who wanted to place ads in favor of Prop 8, but they didn’t know how to do it, so , yeah….
B: Look at 2627 (?) Email you got from Mr Pugno, 10/27/08. This is addressed to TFC, right?
T: Yes
B: It says, at the top, "Bill & Peter" and the Bill is you, right?
T: Yes
B And it says "Your organizations are spending $50,000 for print and media ads…." And this means your organization and Peter’s?
T: No, just Peter, I introduced Peter to Andy because I didn’t want to be involved.
B: But it says "your organizations." Was that wrong?
T: YEah
B: Did you correct that? Did you send back an email?
T: Once again –
B: I’m just asking, did you?
T: I never knew that as a Chinese person I would be facing a lawyer asking me all of these qustions.
B: But when you get emails sometimes you reply?
T: Sometimes
B: Is there anything to support your testimony, anything written down?
T: No I did not reply to correct hium aabout how many organizations were involved
B: INCIDENTALLY…. You worked closely with Peter, did you not?
T: Only in organizing the rally, but he runs a lot of the show.
B: What show?
T: The rally, the flyer, the publicity….
B: But you and he were both the press contact.
T: That’s true.
B: And your organization sponsored the rally?
T: Yes
B: Two more wquestions: IS it your testimony that you were not involved in campaign messaging and strategy for Protect Marriage dot com? IS that your testimony?
T: Yes it is, I did not.
B: During the break did you speak to anybody about your testimony?
T: My lawyer
B: Your lawyer
B: What did your lawyer say about it?
T: I said I felt like a naughty boy being put in front of a classroom and mocked,
B: And what did he say?
T: He laughed
B: You are aware ofAmerican history when Asian Americans could not marry the person they loved?
T: Yes
B: And you would feel very aggrieved by such laws
T: Yes
OBJECTION: Speculation
B: He has answered anyway
Walker: Overruled
Walker: Very well, tommorrow, counsel?
Boutrous: Tomorrow, our last witness Mr Herrick. And then we may have to call Mr Prentice to authenticate certain documents.
Walker: And you have met with opposing counsel with regard to that authentication?
Boutrous: YEs, and we hope to resolve things, we are working on that.
Walker: Very well, we will see you all tomorrow at 8:30 am.
VODKA-THIRTY!



21 Comments







NICE!!!!!!!!!!! Totally boxed in!
With a bow on top ! Tam is really out of his league.
THanks, Teddy. You are most excellent.
My goodness what a great job today! I knew they were going to try and throw him to the lions. He just helped to sink the whole f’n ship!!!
His own lawyer laughed at him.
I have to admit, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen a witness so thoroughly destroyed I wonder if the remaining two pro-8 experts are rethinking their involvement.
Boxturtle (They’d better. I think Boies is still hungry)
Thanks Teddy, if I was there, I’d buy you the first 3 drinks.
Olson/Boies are extremely well prepared … I keep wondering where the Defence is heading with this.
The nearest bar, to cry in their beer? (In SF, that’s probably a short trip.)
You would think that these witnesses would be better prepared. It’s almost like they thought that their religious beliefs would hide the rest of their views. (And I think that Tam knew exactly what his group was doing and who they were associating with.)
This really got me:
“T: I never knew that as a Chinese person I would be facing a lawyer asking me all of these questions.”
Oh my!!!! He must be soooo privileged!
Howdy All,
Just registered and wanted to say how much I’ve enjoyed and appreciated all the cramped fingers covering this trial. I wish I could help with a donation, but have limited funds at the moment and passing what I can on to Haiti.
Have to say one of the things that really struck me on the cross also was:
T: I never knew that as a Chinese person I would be facing a lawyer asking me all of these qustions.
I was waiting for Bois to tell Tam that he wasn’t facing a lawyer and being asked “all these questions” because he was a Chinese person.
And, Teddy, please, PLEASE!, tell me you were joking about the Hello Kitty notepad! I’m gay and a veterinarian, but I would NEVER be caught with a Hello Kitty (or something similar) notepad in a professional situation where I’m wanting to be taken seriously.
hi aggiecowboy and welcome to firedoglake.
Howdy All,
Just registered and wanted to say how much I’ve enjoyed and appreciated all the cramped fingers covering this trial. I wish I could help with a donation, but have limited funds at the moment and passing what I can on to Haiti.
Have to say one of the things that really struck me on the cross also was:
T: I never knew that as a Chinese person I would be facing a lawyer asking me all of these qustions.
I was waiting for Bois to tell Tam that he wasn’t facing a lawyer and being asked “all these questions” because he was a Chinese person.
And, Teddy, please, PLEASE!, tell me you were joking about the Hello Kitty notepad! I’m gay and a veterinarian, but I would NEVER be caught with a Hello Kitty (or something similar) notepad in a professional situation where I’m wanting to be taken seriously.
(sorry for the repost…tried editing original and couldn’t figure out how to fix spacing.)
Now for the editorial remarks:
The spacing only appears to go kablooey when you’re looking at the editing window. It’s really not changing.
Thank you firedoglake and Teddy for doing the live blog. Just regesterd, but have been reading this blog since last Friday. Thank you, everyone for doing this.
In response to the dork who claims that gays are 12 times more likely to be pedophiles, witness the following. Frankly, I would be more afraid of allowing my kids around a right winger than a gay. This kind of behavior seems to be endemic in patriotic right wing circles.
“Oath Keepers’ Leader Arrested for Child Rape; Cops Find Stolen Grenade Launcher In His House”
Aggiecowboy, your wouldn’t be from Dr. Simpson’s lab, would you?
Gig ‘Em, Ag!
I’m AnSci ’94, DVM ’98. Now living in Oklahoma where one of their state reps (namely Mary Fallin) is trying to introduce legislation to rescind the Matthew Shepard Act!
PJ,
Thanks for the info.
Yeah, that got me too.
Gotta love it when people whip out the ESL card after being bold enough to try and deny other citizen’s rights.
Teddy, I don’t know how you do it. To appear in court and listen to this crap and then type it up too!
Howdy! I just lurk anymore, I used to comment regularly back when emptywheel was over at The Next Hurrah though.
Anyway I’m wondering how difficult it is to get observer passes to the courtroom. This info page from the District Court implies that passes are given out daily, first-come-first-served, to members of the public for each day’s proceedings.
Obviously there would only be a couple score of passes, but I’m wondering if the folks who are actually covering the trial can advise how early I’d have to get there in the AM to get a pass, if it’s even possible.
I’d love to be able to someday tell my queerspawn that I was there for one small slice of this historic case!
(Also how many more days of trial do we think we have?)
There are always seats in the overflow ceremonial courtroom on the 19th floor where we are. There are usually seats in the 17th floor actual courtroom. Please join us!
Just wanted to thank all the staff here for what they have done. It’s nice to read about what’s going on.
I didn’t know about FDL before, but I will definitely be donating what I can (unfortunately I’m a broke college student, so it will be limited). But none-the-less, I appreciate all the work you guys have done so that I can read this :)
First of all, thanks for the great coverage you guys. I follow prop8trialtracker also, but check in here too because there is just a bit more detail.
It’s great to see the other sides case kind of self-destructing here and I feel confident that we will win this phase but after the US Supreme Courts decision today (and again by a 5-4 decision along conservative/liberal lines), I’m not feeling so confident about this US Supreme Court ruling in our favor.
But I’m keeping my fingers crossed for everyone out there who wants to marry their other half like me. I may have to move to South Africa to do it though if this doesn’t shake out in our favor.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: WILLIAM TAM’S LAW PROFESSOR!