In Hickory Hill

Jury continues deliberation and has several requests including extra copies of the jury instructions and an easel. Additionally, the jury has several questions regarding the jury instructions that need clarification in order to move forward. Fargarson objects to any further written clarification on the jury instructions. McCalla overrules. Frankly, the jury instructions when first presented by Judge McCalla seem far too complicated for any average person to understand. McCalla rewrites to clarify a passage in his chambers and then a typed draft is given to both sides to agree on. Fargarson objects again, McCalla overrules. McCalla calls the panel back to the courtroom to hear the new “clarified” passage of the instructions.

A couple of days ago I met a journalist from San Salvador. This morning he asks me to write down the neighborhood Carranza lives in. I write on his pad, “Hickory Hill in Southeast Memphis.” It is clear it’s going to be sometime before the jury comes to a decision so I ask him if he wants to see “Hickory Hill,” he says yes, so we drive out to take a look. I even stop at a gas station to get Carranza’s address out of the phone book. And I drive right to his house after some fumbling around ( I don’t spend much time in Southeast Memphis). The journalist gets out of the car and tries to talk to a couple of neighbors. Not much luck really. “He really never says anything,” says one neighbor.

I’m not real surprised.