Bianchi trial, Day 1 - what really happened

If you want to know what really happened on Day 1 of the Bianchi trial, go to the McHenry County Blog (www.mchenrycountyblog.com). Cal Skinner's hearing was "20/20", it appears.

Maybe the attorneys used podiums; maybe even microphones.

Here is one exchange that might better have drawn a long pause before the answer was given. Defense attorney Terry Ekl was at Tom Carroll's throat with,

Ekl: “Are you not concerned with not being charged with a crime because you did not believe you engaged in any illegal act?”
Carroll admitted trouble dealing with the double negative, so Ekl rephrased the question: “You don’t think you committed a crime, do you?”
“No,” Carroll replied."

I had to think twice or thrice and go over the question in my mind to figure out whether Tom Carroll intended to answer "Yes" or "No."

Was his answer meant to be, "Yes, I don't think I committed a crime"?

Or did he mean, "No, I don't think I committed a crime", which is apparently what he said.

Which is the double-negative that he said he was having trouble with. Did he get trapped into saying that he thought he had committed a crime? I suspect he wasn't saying that.

I'll bet that question didn't just roll off Ekl's lips and that he spent a fair amount of time crafting it for just that moment.

Carroll should have skipped the "Yes" or "No" in his answer. And if you are ever on trial, this might be a good rule for you, too.