Read the complete transcript of the hearing before Judge Alsup on 10-11-17 concerning the matter of who the Postal Service lawyers get to depose (i.e., question before trial) with respect to City of Berkeley officials and staff, and what questions they would be allowed to ask them.
10-11-17-Transcript-Deposition-Args
It’s quite technical but here are a few, choice, non-technical snippets:
Judge Alsup in reply to the Postal Service’s lawyer:
“This is too complicated. I’m sorry, I didn’t follow anything you said for the last two minutes…”
Judge Alsup talking about expert witnesses:
They always bring somebody who’s a trained seal…
Judge Alsup talking about what might happen if former Mayor Tom Bates were to be deposed (questioned):
Or he could be a trained seal and say, I don’t know. I have forgotten everything I ever knew in my retirement.
Judge Alsup on trial procedure:
…you’re not stuck with just your own hired gun and your own trained seal…
Berkeley Post Office Defenders 