So, the judge in the Reggie Bush mess played a little smackdown on the attorney's for both Lake and Bush. Frankly they deserved it.
She ordered them twice to agree to deposition dates in a conference room outside the court. Twice they came back empty. After the second time, she grew irritated and said, "I'll see you all in chambers right now."
Then she jokingly asked a beefy man in court for another case, "Can you go back to my chambers and knock a few heads around for me?"
This thing has gone on for so long I can see why there was an attempt at some humor.
But this is where the rubber meets the road, will Lake actually sit for his deposition?
Lake, former would-be marketing agent, must submit to a deposition before any depositions are taken from Bush and his parents, according to a tentative ruling Thursday by a San Diego Superior Court judge.
There is a whole can of worms waiting for Lake if he answers questions, as he would probably criminally incriminate himself in his deposition to sustain his case against Bush. Sure, if it gets to the point of Bush having to go through his deposition any information that comes out could be devastating to Bush and possibly USC (at this point that's not likely because there has been no discussion of ANYONE at SC knowing about this but one can never be sure). Lake will have to answer questions about where he got the 300K, it has been discussed that he has no legitimate means of employment. He will have to answer about taping phone calls, which IIRC is against California state law. He would then face the possibility of a lawsuit against SC for tampering with an amateur athlete, which I also believe is against the law in CA.
So yeah he can go scorched earth but he runs the risk of getting nailed himself. Maybe he doesn't care; he has already been to jail and if its worst-case scenario of doing more time, not really likely to me he may just roll the dice and how they play.
We've said it time and again here we just want this over and done with. I really believe that at this point there may not be anything that incriminates USC, but who knows. I am simply just bored with this; you focus on other things and forget about it then it rears its ugly head over and over.
Just get it done already...
Update: I just caught this in the LA Times:
A would-be sports marketing agent, Lloyd Lake, has claimed that he gave Bush cash and gifts while the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner was playing college football. Lake's attorney, Brian Watkins, said Carroll and running back coach Todd McNair could play a role in his trial strategy.
"Both Pete Carroll and Todd McNair are most likely going to be witnesses," Watkins said by telephone after a morning court hearing in San Diego. "I can't talk about what we're going to be asking them."
McNair, reached by telephone, declined to comment. Carroll could not be reached.
To me this is just posturing to pressure Bush to settle. Lake and his "team" are essentially trying to pressure Bush by threatening to have Carroll to testify, essentially trying to embarrass USC or shame him into settling, this tactic doesn’t surprise me.
A little bit more:
Lake said he came to this belief after meeting McNair and after listening in on a telephone conversation between Carroll and Bush's stepfather.
McNair, who has spoken with NCAA investigators, has said he knew nothing about any alleged business relationship between Lake and Bush.
Let the games begin!!