Last week I was in Washington DC and had the opportunity to visit the Federal District Courthouse, where the first of the Gun Sting defendants currently in trial. Chris Matthews is reporting daily for MainJustice and although I think Chris is a great reporter, unfortunately I do not have a subscription to MainJustice so I cannot read what he has been writing about this trial. So the following are my observations are from sitting in the trial for a short time.

I am not going to reveal the name of the defendant which they were discussing at the time I sat in court but one of the federal Prosecutor’s was direct examining an FBI agent, who was an undercover operative in the sting operation, on some recorded conversation where he was present. The Prosecutor was proving up the transcripts of wiretaps and video recordings of the defendant in question. The direct examination was straight forward with the Prosecutor reading the transcript, then asking the FBI agent if he was present and if the FBI agent heard the defendant state the lines of transcript submitted and, if so, then requesting admission and publication to the jury. Riveting stuff or perhaps not.