Slog - Comments on Ceis Not Allowed to Testify http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/ceis_not_allowed_to_testify Once again (as she did on Friday) Judge Marsha Pechman schooled the city's lawyers. This time, the city wanted Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis to take the stand to rebut Team Bennett's (frankly damning) case that the city was in cahoots—through its lead counsel at K&L Gates, Slade Gorton— with a prospective ownership group to sabotage the Sonics. After a lengthy presentation by the city seeking to allow Ceis to testify, Judge Pechman said no go, admonishing the city for trying to use attorney-client privilege as "both a shield and a sword," adding that it was "fundamentally unfair" to Bennett's attorneys.... Copyright 2008 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:17:02 -0800 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:47:17 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by max solomon the city's (ceis's) shenanigans with worthless wally walker & the balmer "ownership group" have no bearing on the lease.

this trial is about the lease.

what's going to happen is what was going to happen before the trial: the sonics will pay off the city's key arena debt, give up the sonics name, and head out for the dustbowl. this season.

seattleites will just have to ride the mag lev bullet train down to portland after work to root for the trailblazers.

yes that's a joke.

]]> max solomon http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/ceis_not_allowed_to_testify#c1059862 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/ceis_not_allowed_to_testify#c1059862 City Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:32:46 -0800 Comment by NapoleonXIV Alternatively, the Judge could believe that "a lease is a lease" no matter how harsh the terms, and is going to rule for the City.

In that event, sustaining Bennett's objection to Ceis' testimony deprives him of an argument he could otherwise make before the appeals court.

]]> NapoleonXIV http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/ceis_not_allowed_to_testify#c1059874 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/ceis_not_allowed_to_testify#c1059874 City Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:47:43 -0800 Comment by umvue The judge can believe whatever she believes. People say she's good and so I believe she'll follow what she believes the law to be.

]]> umvue http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/ceis_not_allowed_to_testify#c1059933 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/ceis_not_allowed_to_testify#c1059933 City Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:47:17 -0800