Ah, the grammatical incoherencies of the October 2nd post. Comments have ranged from sympathy for Marc's father, apparently a very generous and much revered gentleman, to questioning my statement about calling an escort service with the expectations of being robbed. It should not be an expectation. Marc was not running a sting operation. Escort agencies don't want any trouble. The next step will be a civil action, against the escort agency, for negligent hiring.

I already covered this story in my 1988 musical, Kingdom Come.

Jury duty happens but once every four years, and perhaps after a fifth adjournment it will be more like five years. Last time I was there it was as an alternate, one who sits, listens and eats lunch at the Odeon with the other jurors including the man who made my tuxedo, Flusser, but does not ultimately deliberate, in a civil case in supreme (before Lorraine Miller) claiming damages for boyscout child molestation, regarding incidents that occurred well over 10 years prior to the date of trial. Can't we just forget about it? The jury did after spending five days considering the brushing of genitals in the swimming pool and other suggestive incidents.

And now, here we are, five years later (and that case went on appeal to be affirmed)... I am in the criminal jury pool. 100 centre, the place where you're guaranteed a tourist's visit of entertainment. My friend from Germany had it in her tour guide. NIGHT Court. 2AM, Can't sleep? Get downtown to 100 Centre and sit in the back.

So let's review, September 30th, Monday, a fresh batch of jurors, the cream of the crop, for Judge Herbert Altman. 64 from the 100 in the waiting room go to his beautiful wireless amplified courtroom on the 11th floor. I'm among them. Of the 16 called to sit in the box, three are lawyers. Tell us about yourself, he actually asks each and they pass down the wireless mike. Lawyer, what school, Harvard, next lawyer, what school, Harvard, one at Cravath, one at Straub's Wilkie, the other one, not employed, from Fordham, and quite a few of the professionals up there were seeking new employment. Also among them was a cardiologist from Canada employed by Mount Sinai... And a bond trader who actually made it onto the jury.

After the judge let us meet the panel, the first question from the DA raised the term, Escort service? Would you give credence to the testimony of a man who called upon, who invoked, to use my own term, Escorts? What if he was a former SUBSTANCE ABUSER? Substances? Oh, please. What if a stripper was a defendant? Would you believe her? That's it, I'm back there tomorrow. It's my duty as a juror.

I was not chosen on Monday. I went with another panel to a case in a smaller courtroom before Judge A. Kirke Bartley. His question, if I may paraphrase rightly, began, would you take issue regarding matters concerning gypsy people or as they are commonly called, gypsies? Do any of you know Duke Stevens? Jack Goldman? Nick Johns? Come back tomorrow morning.

Me: Hey guys, I have a motion to attend to in the morning.
Professional courtesy (like the shark joke), permitted me to be excused and return to the jury pool which I did after the motion the next day, October 1st, signing in and out to check out Judge Altman's part. It was 11:30 AM, just in time for the jury to enter for the first time that morning.

Opening statement highlight, "and that my client will spend his 22nd birthday free of these charges." Objection, sustained, defense counsel gathers his notes and sits down.

I'm thinking, what? Ian, the coconspirator to this charge of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and attempted extortion is 21! Kerry, the big breasted mini-faced blond woman with the swishy moves, is certainly in her thirties. I'm reminded of Judge Altman's words to the jurors, willing accomplices are equally guilty.

Witness takes the stand. 45, slender, dark hair kinda wild. DA"Okay, what do you do,"
"I'm self employed now. I'm a hedge fund manager." What is that?
"Someone who manages hedge funds."
Defense attorney (probably stifling a laugh), "Could you read that back please."
I guess further clarification is that a hedge fund hedges funds (I think it's a daily bet on whether the stock market goes up or down.)

Former DEA FBI employee, Robert Stang, also appeared, hired by the family and aware of witness victim's problems. He put some men on the job and stung Ian after Ian picked up his 50,000 check from the house. Marc slipped it through the mailslot.

Earlier testimony from Marc established that Marc had required the services of 50 to 75 escorts during that year. He's divorced, you see.

What are we considering here?

I must ask, Mr. Weill, what are you doing, running a sting operation? You called an escort service, that's like saying, rob me if you can. The good news is that Marc's father, Sandy, Citigroup's chairman, no longer employs Marc there.

What did you do with Kerry? Partied. Did the relationship become personal? Yes, in that I spoke to her about personal matters. I lent her money, over 8thousand including 5 for her landlord so that she and her child could move (Ian?) Supposedly she was bringing Ian over to set up a repayment schedule...

Apparently, after Ian's arrest a search of Kerry's apartment found the gun allegedly used to point out Marc's face.

Last but not least, I was called to consider a case on Broadway by Leonard, an alleged robbery of memorabilia from an eccentric older man (40) by a cute lanky long strawberry blond haired wire rimmed glasses wearing fellow with big healed black sneakers.

One of the jurors also dealt in high end baseball card memorabilia. I would have said, but saw earlier on that neither ADA Scheidt, nor the soft spoken defense counsel woman were seriously considering me, that I collect what might be considered memorabilia but not to sell. Thank you, for the glimpse of the photos of the witness victim's messy apartment.

5:15, come back tomorrow, which is today. Released! Catch Private Detective Stang retained by the family's testimony.
I haven't billed them for a while but I'll probably for today.
Why were you retained by them objection sustained.

It is over a month since my last die-ray ent-ray. We had a splendid run of The Golf Wars, I'm onto the next project which is the sequel of my collaboration with Tom Nondorf who chose, for the St. Jean's Auditorium Players, to revive Salad Days, a show that includes a magic piano in the park, and a flying saucer to help them find it when it's lost. The music reminds me of British Music Hall routines, simple but fast (the challenge is in getting them up to speed). Then there's dancing. The piano has to unleash the cast. Hey, it's fun. And The Golf Wars was fun. I was unavoidably flattered when one of the cast members thanked me for writing it. I can paint a happy picture, let's see, I can simply quote Kenny Davidsen. I'm making money and loving every minute of it and the album will be done in a few months. That's his quote but I can adopt it.