Litigation Lessons at the Enron Trial
posted by Dave Hoffman
Today’s testimony in Houston involved an emotional breakdown and some lessons about discovery. Surprisingly, one had nothing to do with the other. On the discovery matter, Judge Lake told the jury that:
“Years ago they gave you a stamp, like a checker uses to stamp a can of peas with,” Judge Lake told the jurors. “I guess the original stamp was named for a Mr. Bates.”“Now you know more than you ever wanted to know about this,” the judge said as he ended his instructional aside.
Commentators over at the Enron Trial Blog suggested that the Judge was wrong:, “Bates stamps” were really named for the Bates Manufacturing Company (pictured to the right). But the Company was founded by a Norman Benjamin Bates, so I think Judge Lake deserves a break. Thus, the many appellate lawyers watching the trial looking for errors will have to keep looking. Sitting Juror #11, on the other hand, well that’s a different story.
February 6, 2006 at 9:07 pm
Posted in: Corporate Law
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Responses (4)
John Armstrong - February 6, 2006 at 10:05 pm
Thank God Mr. Bates wasn’t a minor at the time.
Sorry, I just had to…
Bruce - February 6, 2006 at 11:09 pm
Bates stamps were invented by Norman Bates?! Now that explains a lot…
Dave Hoffman - February 7, 2006 at 12:13 pm
It was too good to be true (I relied on a webpage). Benjamin E. Bates, founder of Bates college and a early Boston financier and industrialist, lent his name to the factory and the stamps.
Concerned Citizen - February 7, 2006 at 6:22 pm
More importantly, when was the last time you saw a checker stamp a can of peas? Sounds to me like Judge Lake hasn’t shopped for groceries since, say, 1985 or so.
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