SitNews - Stories in the News - Ketchikan, Alaska

Viewpoints: Letters / Opinions

Rachel Mitchell failed to cross examine properly.

By Rob Holston

September 28, 2018
Friday PM


Dr Ford gave credible testimony in her allegations against Judge Kavanaugh and was seemingly made more credible by an almost non-existent cross examination by Rachel Mitchell. Mitchell had many failures but I’ll just mention a couple. Dr. Ford testified that her life was so disrupted after the alleged “attack” on her that she had a very difficult time with her first two years of college. Here is where Mitchell dropped the ball. She had no idea of where the ball was, how to pick it up or which direction to run with it.

Her immediate line of question should have been: What grades did you earn in math, science, english, history during your freshman year in high school. What was your freshman GPA. Could you please tell me the same answers for your sophomore year? Your junior year? Your senior year? If the attack happened as you allege, wouldn’t your GPA in high school take a drop during your junior and senior year?

Of course I would recommend that Mitchell would know the answers before asking the questions. The point is IF the attack happened as alleged between Ford’s sophomore and junior year then one would expect a dramatic change in her academic and social life during her junior and senior years, NOT 3 & 4 years after the alleged attack. And IF Ford’s GPA and social life in high school DID make a dramatic change after the next two years, Ford should be able to present teachers and high school classmates to testify as as to Ford’s dramatic change IN HIGH SCHOOL not 3-4 years latter in college.

Another line of questioning should have been questioning Ford’s drinking habits: When did you begin attending parties with boys and drinking beer. Did you ever drink to excess? Did YOU ever drink so much that YOU didn’t remember much about the previous night’s party? Did your drinking habits increase through the years? What years of your life has your drinking of beer been the greatest. Were your drinking habits perhaps responsible for your failure at college during your first two years?

I am NOT saying that Dr. Ford’s testimony was NOT credible. It was in ways incredible, in the positive meaning of the word. But I AM saying that Mitchell was obviously not the right choice for the job of cross examination.

Kindly,

Rob Holston
Ketchikan, Alaska

 

 

Editor's Note:

The text of this letter was NOT edited by the SitNews Editor.

 

Received September 27, 2018 - Published September 28, 2018

Related Viewpoint:

letter

 

Viewpoints - Opinion Letters:

Webmail Your Opinion Letter to the Editor

 

Forum

SitNews Forum

The SitNews Forum is a public forum and does not require a subscription to post a comment or to read comments.... share your thoughts.

Representations of fact and opinions in letters are solely those of the author.
The opinions of the author do not represent the opinions of Sitnews.

E-mail your letters & opinions to editor@sitnews.us
Your full name, city and state are required for letter publication.

Published letters become the property of SitNews.

SitNews ©2018
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews may be protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper sources.

E-mail your news & photos to editor@sitnews.us

Photographers choosing to submit photographs for publication to SitNews are in doing so granting their permission for publication and for archiving. SitNews does not sell photographs. All requests for purchasing a photograph will be emailed to the photographer.