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PEOPLE of
the STATE of ILLINOIS V. MARK BUNKER
Chicago
jury out only 25 minutes:
MARK BUNKER FOUND INNNOCENT
(Reported by Bob Minton, 6 Feb 2001 18:37)
Mark's defense contingent arrived in Chicago on Saturday eager to show
a Chicago jury that Scientology is a lying mafia-like cult. Meetings were
held during the weekend to sort out strategy with Julie Aimen, Mark's
Chicago attorney, Denis deVlaming, Mark's Clearwater attorney, Stacy Brooks,
Frank Oliver and other potential witnesses, including the star witnesses,
Bill and Barbara Zizic. Naturally, fun was had by all especially when
they went to see a very funny play on Saturday afternoon, The Producers
by Mel Brooks, staring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. Mark said the
play was fabulous. Stacy said that she and Denis deVlaming could hardly
stop laughing and Frank Oliver was still laughing when I talked to him
10 minutes after the play was over :-) For Mark, it was the highlight
of the trip.
Monday a jury was selected and the trial started late in the day with
the prosecutor and one of Mark's attorneys, Denis deVlaming making their
opening arguments. It sounded like it would be a humiliating trial for
Scientology. Time was up for the day and court was then adjourned until
10:00 am Tuesday. Present for Scientology's mafia-like cult was the former
Mafia lawyer for the Gambino's, now Scientology's in house legal counsel,
Elliott Abelson accompanied by Mary Ann Ahmad, OSA Chicago, Pam Valinski,
OSA New York, and 2 OSA Int guys whose names Stacy does not remember.
The entire cast for all three sides were back in court sharply at 10:00
am today. The morning consisted of the prosecutors case starting with
testimony of Mary Ann Ahmad who in typical OSA fashion stumbled and mumbled
her way through the events on the night of the incident. During cross-examination
by deVlaming Ahmad had some trouble explaining how a notary public could
get the date wrong by a month on a document the Scientologists had submitted
in the case. The 2 off-duty cops were not credible at all according to
the report I got and did not hold up well under cross by Aimen. After
that the defense team of deVlaming and Aimen presented the Zizics and
Mark Bunker who were all three credible, compelling and believable witnesses.
At 3:45 PM Chicago time the defense rested and the prosecutor brought
a rebuttal witness. The Judge went through instructions to the jury and
at 4:35 Chicago time the jury was charged to decide the case.
At 5:00 PM sharp the jury came back and announced a verdict of NOT GUILTY.
Bob Minton
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