Nancy Grace denies abuse allegations in Duckett case

[Faith]

Nancy Grace denies abuse allegations in Duckett case

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/media/photo/2006-09/25382152.jpg
Melinda Duckett, the mother of missing 2-year-old Trenton Duckett, holds a picture of her and her son following a news conference at the Leesburg Police Department. Melinda was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound

8:22 a.m. EDT, September 29, 2009


Documents show CNN (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/economy-business-finance/media/news-agency/cnn-ORCRP000008070.topic) talk show host Nancy Grace has denied under oath that Melinda Duckett was subjected to mental abuse on her television program.

A report on ClickOrlando.com shows a sworn statement from Grace, saying she had "no knowledge of Melinda Duckett's frame of mind" and that Melinda Duckett "voluntarily appeared" on the show.

Duckett, the mother of missing toddler Trenton Duckett (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/crime-law-justice/crimes/crime-victims/trenton-duckett-PECLB002294.topic), committed suicide after appearing on Grace's show in September 2006.

To read the story, click here. (http://www.clickorlando.com/news/21143574/detail.html)
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-nancy-grace-denies-mental-abuse-092909,0,2378650.story

[Faith]

Grace Denies Abuse In Duckett Case
Local 6 News Obtains Sworn Statement From CNN Host Nancy Grace

POSTED: Monday, September 28, 2009
UPDATED: 10:34 pm EDT September 28, 2009

ORLANDO, Fla. -- CNN talk show host Nancy Grace has denied under oath that Melinda Duckett was subjected to mental abuse on her program, according to documents obtained by Local 6 News.

Duckett, the mother of missing toddler Trenton Duckett, committed suicide shortly after appearing on Grace's show in September 2006.

Melinda Duckett's parents are suing Grace and CNN, claiming that Grace's interview led to the suicide.

In the interview, Grace grilled Melinda Duckett with questions about her son's disappearance.

"Where were you? Why aren't you telling us where you were that day? You were the last person to be seen with him," Grace said.

Local 6 News has obtained a sworn statement from Grace, who said she had "no knowledge of Melinda Duckett's frame of mind" and that Melinda Duckett "voluntarily appeared" on the show.

Grace also denied that "Melinda Duckett was subjected to mental abuse on her program."

The wrongful death trial is scheduled to begin next year.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/21143574/detail.html

[Roamer]

Nancy was relentless against Melinda Duckett, IMO.

[Faith]

Duckett appeared on the show to discuss the disappearance of her 2-year-old son, Trenton. To see a video report, click here (http://www.examiner.com/x-1168-Crime-Examiner%7Ey2009m1d16-Over-2-years-later-Trenton-Ducketts-disappearance-remains-a-mystery).

http://www.examiner.com/x-1168-Crime-Examiner~y2009m9d28-Trenton-Duckett-case-Nancy-Grace-denies-Melinda-Duckett-mentally-abused-during-interview

[Faith]

Nancy was relentless against Melinda Duckett, IMO.

I agree.

[packy]

It was horrible but it may be true that Nancy didn't know her frame of mind, and regardless then Melinda could have stopped at any time. Since there are so many factors involved when someone takes their own life, how can anyone say who or what caused it to happen.

[SavannahStar]

It was horrible but it may be true that Nancy didn't know her frame of mind, and regardless then Melinda could have stopped at any time. Since there are so many factors involved when someone takes their own life, how can anyone say who or what caused it to happen.


I think it can be an aggravating factor though. This is NG's "way".....nothing new. I wish something would make her just STOP being such a nasty, mean, rude person......and that goes for how she treats EVERYONE on her show, not just suspected perps. (Oh except for those "fans" that call in and tell her how they worship her and the twins are just wonderful.....:rolleyes:) She is just plain cruel! :madranting94dp:

[KittyMom]

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=td2

Trenton's candle site.


I think there will be things that come out in the trial that will support NG's argument and will nip this money grab in the bud.

[packy]

I think it can be an aggravating factor though. This is NG's "way".....nothing new. I wish something would make her just STOP being such a nasty, mean, rude person......and that goes for how she treats EVERYONE on her show, not just suspected perps. (Oh except for those "fans" that call in and tell her how they worship her and the twins are just wonderful.....:rolleyes:) She is just plain cruel! :madranting94dp:

That may be, but if so then the behavior of any of us who may have lost a loved one to suicide may also be considered an aggravating factor. How to prove the cause and effect. . .

There are times Nancy makes me want to pull my own hair out she is so aggravating. Grrrrh

[Pandabear]

I think NG could learn something from this forum. Regardless of what our beliefs are, these people are innocent until a jury finds them guilty and there are families that are hurting. I agree with Roamer, Nancy was relentless against Melinda Duckett, and she really had no idea if Melinda did something to Trenton or not, she just wanted to be the one to break her...IMO.

Nancy thinks she has to come across as this tough, take no prisoners type of TV personality. I think that costs her many viewers, and that's a shame since her show could be used for such good things where missing people are concerned.


JMO

[Roamer]

Perfectly said, Panda!

As my grandma used to say, "you catch more flies with sugar than you do vinegar."

[Tracian]

Melinda chose to go on Nancy's show....Melinda was clearly lying about her son, IMO.

[SavannahStar]

i think ng could learn something from this forum. Regardless of what our beliefs are, these people are innocent until a jury finds them guilty and there are families that are hurting. I agree with roamer, nancy was relentless against melinda duckett, and she really had no idea if melinda did something to trenton or not, she just wanted to be the one to break her...imo.

Nancy thinks she has to come across as this tough, take no prisoners type of tv personality. I think that costs her many viewers, and that's a shame since her show could be used for such good things where missing people are concerned.


Jmo

post of the day!!!!!! :11_2_104:

[Faith]

Originally Posted by pandabear http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/images/styles/default/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showthread.php?p=669845#post669845)
i think ng could learn something from this forum. Regardless of what our beliefs are, these people are innocent until a jury finds them guilty and there are families that are hurting. I agree with roamer, nancy was relentless against melinda duckett, and she really had no idea if melinda did something to trenton or not, she just wanted to be the one to break her...imo.

Nancy thinks she has to come across as this tough, take no prisoners type of tv personality. I think that costs her many viewers, and that's a shame since her show could be used for such good things where missing people are concerned.


Jmo


Excellent post!!

[Tracian]

IMO, because Melinda was a woman, there is sympathy for her and the way Nancy talked to her.

I find it interesting that those that think Nancy was 'hard' on Melinda, and say 'innocent until proven guilty' in another high profile case are convicting a father that as far as LE has told us, has a solid alibi, is still highly suspect. This same father though accused of child and spousal abuse, has never been convicted of either offense, but the allegations continue to linger when he is discussed.

I am not saying on this board in particular, but we all do form opinions in regards to the people involved in these cases. Nancy did not ask Melinda 'hard' questions, these are questions that anyone would gladly answer if their child was truly missing and they truly wanted their child back.

IMO, Melinda would have done the same thing, once LE started cracking down on her...this though tragic for Trenton, was not the fault of anyone but Melinda.

[SavannahStar]

IMO, because Melinda was a woman, there is sympathy for her and the way Nancy talked to her.

I find it interesting that those that think Nancy was 'hard' on Melinda, and say 'innocent until proven guilty' in another high profile case are convicting a father that as far as LE has told us, has a solid alibi, is still highly suspect. This same father though accused of child and spousal abuse, has never been convicted of either offense, but the allegations continue to linger when he is discussed.

I am not saying on this board in particular, but we all do form opinions in regards to the people involved in these cases. Nancy did not ask Melinda 'hard' questions, these are questions that anyone would gladly answer if their child was truly missing and they truly wanted their child back.

IMO, Melinda would have done the same thing, once LE started cracking down on her...this though tragic for Trenton, was not the fault of anyone but Melinda.

Hey don't paint with a broad brush....if the case is the one I'm thinking of ("another high profile case"), I certainly believe that father is innocent.

And.....I do not have sympathy for Melinda Duckett as a suspect; it's MORE that I cannot stand NG and how she treats/talks to EVERYONE. So Melinda Duckett falls in that category for me.

And also for the record I have no preconceived sympathy for ANY woman in a crime. I was staunchly against Mary Winkler's little ol' slap on the wrist, for instance.

[Tracian]

Hey don't paint with a broad brush....if the case is the one I'm thinking of ("another high profile case"), I certainly believe that father is innocent.

And.....I do not have sympathy for Melinda Duckett as a suspect; it's MORE that I cannot stand NG and how she treats/talks to EVERYONE. So Melinda Duckett falls in that category for me.


I am not saying all I said some. I know you have read the boards and twitter accounts, that man is all but tarred and feathered.

I wonder if Drew Peterson went on NG before his arrest, and NG grilled him if the sympathy would be the same; think that if he killed himself, the sympathy would be by most few and far between.

As far as the way NG talks....that is her 1st Amendment right...just as it was Melinda's right to either go on her show or to stay off of it.

[SavannahStar]

I am not saying all I said some. I know you have read the boards and twitter accounts, that man is all but tarred and feathered.

I wonder if Drew Peterson went on NG before his arrest, and NG grilled him if the sympathy would be the same; think that if he killed himself, the sympathy would be by most few and far between.

As far as the way NG talks....that is her 1st Amendment right...just as it was Melinda's right to either go on her show or to stay off of it.


Oh I agree that he's tarred and feathered....that's a shame, IMO.

You're probably right about Drew Peterson. But there too, I personally would feel the same about him if the situation were the same on NG as with Melinda Duckett.

But then I march to a different drummer as a general rule......:shrug1:

[Tracian]

Oh I agree that he's tarred and feathered....that's a shame, IMO.

You're probably right about Drew Peterson. But there too, I personally would feel the same about him if the situation were the same on NG as with Melinda Duckett.

But then I march to a different drummer as a general rule......:shrug1:


Nothing wrong with that; To Thine Ownself be true:wink:

[Pandabear]

Tracian, I'd appreciate it if you would provide a link to the man you say has been "all but tarred and feathered". Maybe I need some more coffee, but I don't know who you are talking about.

Thank you.

Oh, and for the record, I think NG goes overboard with every guest that is on her show, unless it is someone she agrees with 100%. Asking questions and looking for answers is one thing, being a nasty, hateful person is another. Again, JMO.

[Tracian]

Tracian, I'd appreciate it if you would provide a link to the man you say has been "all but tarred and feathered". Maybe I need some more coffee, but I don't know who you are talking about.

Thank you.

Oh, and for the record, I think NG goes overboard with every guest that is on her show, unless it is someone she agrees with 100%. Asking questions and looking for answers is one thing, being a nasty, hateful person is another. Again, JMO.



The Haleigh Cummings case. Pauli keeps it fair here, but Ron Cummings is really getting raked over the coals in the media, and by posters mostly on other boards, a few things here...but nothing like I have seen else where.

I only brought that up, because, IMO, Melinda looked so young, and maybe for some a childlike innocents; IMO she was attempting to manipulate and she picked the wrong person in NG.

I do agree though, Nancy Grace is very outspoken, and yes, loud, and likes the sound of her own voice; be that as it may...I think the lawsuit is ridiculous; Nancy has the right to her freedom of speech as much as anyone else; if Melissa was unstable, then her family had the obligation to get her the help she needed.

[Pauli]

That is one thing we try to enforce here Tracian, innocent until proved guilty by a court of law.. we have a post now and then that we do not catch that wants to blame a parent without proof, but we do our best to see that does not happen. I do not think any parent of a missing child should be 'tarred and feathered'. We have no idea what they may or may not have been involved in until the 'true facts' are brought out. How many parents have we seen vilified and then found out later they were totally innocent.. How about the Lunsford case, the VanDams, the Ramseys just to name a few, I could go on and on. Their pain and grief was added to by many on message boards....

Nancy Grace is a show host, she is no longer a prosecutor or an interrogator.. but that is a position she places herself in quite often... the show has turned to nothing more than a ratings grabber and quite often things that are not factual are aired on there.. they are sensationalized, words added to make it appear 'jucier'.. and that all leads to further rumor/gossip against some during an already hard time. Whatever happened to the responsible journalist that would verify their information before putting it out there.. it's gone, now they just say "from a source" and think that absolves them from making things up..

[Tracian]

I agree with your post Pauli.


As far as NG...that is what her show is, and even though I don't care for her style, it seems to be what people want to see.

Melinda's suicide while tragic, IMO, could have happened when (because I do believe she would have been charged) LE began tightening their grip. I can't support her family in this lawsuit when Melinda went on Nancy's show of her own free will.

[LiveLaughLuv]

Did Nancy Grace Contribute to Fla. Woman's Suicide?
By Matthew Sheffield (Bio | Archive)
September 14, 2006 - 01:45 ET

Is Nancy Grace, the crime-obsessed CNN Headline News host and former prosecutor, at least partly to blame for the suicide of a Florida woman whose son has been reported missing?

According to the family of Melinda Duckett, a harsh interview Grace taped with Duckett was one of the factors that put her over the top:


Duckett shot herself a day after taping an interview with CNN Headline News' Nancy Grace, who frequently focuses on missing-persons cases. Stumbling on questions like whether she had taken a polygraph test or where, specifically, she was shopping with her son before his disappearance, Duckett, speaking by telephone, became audibly exasperated.

Before it was over, Grace was pounding her desk in a raised voice, saying, "Where were you? Why aren't you telling us where you were that day?"

"Nancy Grace and the others, they just bashed her to the end," Melinda Duckett's grandfather Bill Eubank said Tuesday. "She wasn't one anyone ever would have thought of to do something like this. She and that baby just loved each other, couldn't get away from each other. She wouldn't hurt a bug."

As you would expect, Grace denies this. On Monday's show, instead of focusing on 9/11, she devoted basically the entire program (except for a small mention of the terrorist attacks at the end) to the Duckett case. Everything Grace said about the case, plus a comment, is below the fold.
Story Continues Below Ad ↓


GRACE: There was a very sad development before our show aired on Friday night, and that is the apparent suicide of Trenton's mother. Captain Rockefeller, how, if in any way it did, did her suicide set this investigation back? [...]

Let's go out to the lines. Liz, let's go to Stan in Kentucky. Hi, Stan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi. How are you, Nancy?

GRACE: I'm good, dear. What's your question?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My question is, you are such a good interviewer and everything. I just wonder, with the pressure that you put on the mother with your questions your last show, is there any possible way that you feel you might have somehow pushed her over the edge or contributed to her suicide?

GRACE: You know, Stan, speaking as one that knows firsthand, when you suffer a tragic loss, you look for somebody to blame. You look hard. I do not feel that our show is to blame for what happened to Melinda Duckett. The truth, Stan, is not always nice or polite or easy to go down. Sometimes it's harsh, and it hurts.

I'd like to also point out that Melinda committed suicide before that interview ever aired. It had never gone to air. The purpose of this show is all about finding Trenton Duckett. That's what we're about. And I'd like to also point out that, seemingly, police agreed with my line of questioning. You've got to know that we are deeply saddened to learn about her death, Melinda Duckett's, the mother of Trenton, the day after she taped our program. It was last week.

I hope the viewers keep in mind that this show is one of the single most active in looking for missing children. And as part of that, I often -- always, I would hope, I ask parents the same questions I would ask any mom and dad about an investigation in a missing child case, where they were when the child went missing, what happened, what's the timeline, anything to help find that missing child. I also ask whether the parents have taken a polygraph, as I did with Melinda. And at that point, and at this point, Trenton is still missing, and our focus is on finding him. [...]

To Robi Ludwig, psychotherapist. Robi, as Jack Trimarco said earlier, for a long time, parents were never viewed as possible suspects. And I understand that. It's hard to question a parent's love. Robi, why do parents kill? It's something nobody seems to understand, including me.

ROBI LUDWIG, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: Yes, it's really hard to imagine how a parent can go there, especially a mother, because we don't really like to think of mothers as murderers, especially when it comes to their children.

But this is what we know about maternal suicide, that when mothers kill, very often it's due to a mental illness where they can be depressed, psychotic, or even suicidal. So in some cases, mothers kill because they view the child as an extension of themselves. So if, unfortunately, this woman somehow viewed her child as an extension of herself, she would off her child and then eliminate herself.

Again, we really don't know what happened here. This could be a fragile personality who was reacting to the trauma and loss of her child, and this is what she did. So there's still a lot of questions.

GRACE: Anne Bremner, a response?

BREMNER: O.J. Simpson, remember, he had the note where he looked like a suicide note. Guess what? He was acquitted. The prosecutors didn't even use that in the courtroom. So the question of her trying to kill herself, et cetera, being involved in this doesn't equate.

And the fact is, grief-stricken, horrible situation, a tragedy compounded by a tragedy. This woman -- you can't speak ill of the dead here, Nancy. This is somebody that has not done -- done anything wrong.

GRACE: The big problem with your reasoning is that O.J. didn't commit suicide. According to his civil jury, he committed double homicide. Correction.

BREMNER: He had a suicide note. He had a suicide note.

GRACE: Blah, blah.

BREMNER: He did.

GRACE: A note, a note. Right, a note, OK.

BREMNER: It's the same kind of argument, Nancy, in this case. This woman, there's no indication of her guilt and the child may well be alive.

GRACE: Let me correct you on another point, Anne.

BREMNER: To make sure that you get the word out so people look for clues to find this child, Nancy.

GRACE: Anne, we are not about convicting Melinda Duckett.

BREMNER: That's true.

GRACE: We are here to try to find Trenton Duckett.

BREMNER: That's true, but in the process, let's make sure we have the right person. And in the process, let's make sure that we don't malign somebody. I'm not just saying that you are. I'm just saying let's be careful to not come to conclusions where they're not there yet. They're just not.
http://newsbusters.org/node/7618


Of course NG doesnt' think her line of questioning contributed to MD's suicide. One never knows the capabilities of a weak mind...

Also, hearing NG is no longer a prosecutor due to prosecutorial misconduct, much like what NiFong did...her show is one for ratings. I've stopped watching since she's been so crude, rude and insensitive to Crystal Shefflied.

[LiveLaughLuv]

Former prosecutor turned talk show host Nancy Grace is unapologetic about her aggressive approach to a mother who committed suicide after an interview about the woman's missing son.

Talk show host Nancy Grace told "Good Morning America's" Chris Cuomo she did not feel responsible for Melinda Duckett's suicide.

(ABCNEWS.com)Twenty-one year-old Melinda Duckett was the mother of 2-year-old Trenton Duckett, who has been missing since Aug. 27.

Grace interviewed Duckett over the phone on Sept. 7 as part of a taped segment for Grace's show. Before the interview was over, the talk show host was pounding her desk and demanding, "Where were you? Why aren't you telling us where you were that day?"

One day later, Duckett shot and killed herself just hours before the taped interview aired on CNN Headline News.

In an exclusive interview with "Good Morning America" today, Grace said that she takes no responsibility for Duckett's suicide.

"If anything, I would suggest that guilt made her commit suicide," Grace told ABC News' Chris Cuomo.

"To suggest that a 15 or 20 minute interview can cause someone to commit suicide is focusing on the wrong thing," she said.


Interview or Inquisition?

Melinda Duckett reported her son missing from their Leesburg, Fla., home on Aug. 27. She said he disappeared from his crib while she watched a movie on television with friends.

Investigators have stopped short of calling Duckett a suspect but have focused increasing attention on her movements just before the boy vanished. Police have seized notes, a computer, camera and other items from her home.

Duckett's family members disputed any suggestion that she hurt her son. They said that the strain of her son's disappearance pushed her to the brink, and the media sent her over the edge.

"Nancy Grace and the others, they just bashed her to the end," Duckett's grandfather Bill Eubank told the Associate Press Tuesday.

Some media analysts agree, saying Grace's interview went too far.

"How is that questioning doing anything but making a person in a desperate situation feeling even more desperate?" said Hub Brown, a professor at Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Communications.

Grace, however, insists her line of questioning was reasonable.

more at the link:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2448050&page=1

[Tracian]

I didn't really like the way she spoke to Crystal, but then again I didn't like the way Crystal did a 180 once KP entered stage right twisting a playground accident into proof of Ron being abusive, IMO using Crystal when she was in a very unstable state of mind with her and Ron's daughter missing.

Not saying you are not telling the truth, LLL, but do you know where to find the info about Grace and her alledged misconduct? (I say alledged because it seems she was not charged or at least convicted)

[Orchid Corsage]

It was horrible but it may be true that Nancy didn't know her frame of mind, and regardless then Melinda could have stopped at any time. Since there are so many factors involved when someone takes their own life, how can anyone say who or what caused it to happen.

Packy, I remember there was another factor at the time IMO, which might have caused Melinda to take her life. It was just about an hour or so before Melinda shot herself, it had been reported in the media, Trenton's body had been found in a dumpster. I remember it had been on a radio station.

Also I remember she had been alone at her grandparent's home, did she hear the false report and believed it? We know it turned out not to be true, but did Melinda feel guilt for Trenton's death and had been found out or possibly she thought someone else had killed him and was devastated. Not that NG didn't set her on edge, but who really knows what made MD do it.

One thing which always bothered me was Melinda discarding so many of Trenton's belongings in the dumpster. What frame of mind in a mother, of a missing child would do such a thing?

I do agree, Nancy G can be relentless and I have stopped watching her program. Well sometimes I catch a show now and then. :faintTHUD: A lot easier to read than watch.

It would be wonderful if baby Trenton is still alive.

[Pauli]

I didn't really like the way she spoke to Crystal, but then again I didn't like the way Crystal did a 180 once KP entered stage right twisting a playground accident into proof of Ron being abusive, IMO using Crystal when she was in a very unstable state of mind with her and Ron's daughter missing.

Not saying you are not telling the truth, LLL, but do you know where to find the info about Grace and her alledged misconduct? (I say alledged because it seems she was not charged or at least convicted)


I do know the prosecutorial misconduct is true and if I remember correctly she was sanctioned for it.. it happened many many years ago in Georgia. I will have to look see if I can find it...

[Pauli]

I do know the prosecutorial misconduct is true and if I remember correctly she was sanctioned for it.. it happened many many years ago in Georgia. I will have to look see if I can find it...



he Supreme Court of Georgia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_Georgia_%28U.S._state%29) has twice commented on Grace's conduct as a prosecutor. First, in a 1994 heroin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin) drug trafficking case, Bell v. State, the Court declared a mistrial, saying that Grace had "exceeded the wide latitude of closing argument" by drawing comparisons to unrelated murder and rape cases.[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Grace#cite_note-11) In 1997, the court was more severe. Although its unanimous decision overturning the murder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder)-arson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arson) conviction of businessman W. W. Carr in the death of his wife was caused primarily by other issues, the court made note of Grace's court actions, citing "inappropriate and illegal conduct in the course of the trial.

[Pandabear]

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2005/05/04/625/41523

Conviction Upheld Despite Nancy Grace's Misconduct
By Jeralyn, Section Misconduct
Posted on Wed May 04, 2005 at 01:30:56 PM EST


In an opinion written by Bush recess appointee William Pryor, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a murder conviction against a defendant notwithstanding findings that prosecutor Nancy Grace "played fast and loose" with the rules.

Monday's decision by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a triple murder conviction won by Grace, explaining that her actions didn't change the result of the trial. It is the third time appellate courts have admonished Grace for her conduct as a prosecutor in Georgia. Grace served as an assistant district attorney in Fulton from 1987 to 1996, leaving that year to join Court TV as a commentator.

The three-judge panel on Monday criticized Grace for not following her obligations to disclose to the defendant's lawyer information about other possible suspects. The 11th Circuit also agreed with a magistrate who found it hard to believe that Grace did not knowingly use a detective's false testimony that there were no other suspects.

What kind of message does this send to prosecutors other than you can break the rules and get away with it?

Grace on Tuesday denied hiding that other people might have been involved with the crime, noting one of her witnesses said so in open court. "While some of the comments of the court are hurtful to me," she added, "I am thankful for the unanimous decision" keeping the verdict intact.

Stephens' lawyer, G. Terry Jackson of Savannah's Jackson & Schiavone, said he was disappointed with the ruling and would consider asking the full 11th Circuit or the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case. "It's very clear Mr. Stephens did not receive a fair trial," said Jackson.

Stephens' original trial lawyer, Fulton public defender Kenneth D. Kondritzer, called the court's description of Grace as playing "fast and loose" with ethical rules "an understatement."

Stephen Gillers, a legal ethics professor from New York University School of Law, wrote in an e-mail that Grace's actions regarding the detective were serious, "because submitting false sworn testimony to a court is probably the gravest violation of legal ethics."

Nancy Grace's prior admonitions from the Georgia Supreme Court include:

In 1997, the Georgia Supreme Court skewered Grace for her actions in prosecuting Weldon Wayne Carr for allegedly setting fire to his house and murdering his wife. Carr later was freed when Fulton prosecutors waited too long to bring him up for a retrial. While the court reversed Carr's 1994 conviction for other reasons, the justices said Grace withheld evidence entitled to the defense and made improper opening statements and closing arguments.

"We conclude that the conduct of the prosecuting attorney in this case demonstrated her disregard of the notions of due process and fairness, and was inexcusable," wrote then Chief Justice Robert Benham. Carr v. State, 267 Ga. 701 (1997).

In 1994, the Georgia high court voted 6-1 to reverse a heroin trafficking conviction won by Grace because she "exceeded the wide latitude of closing argument" by referring to drug-related murders and serial rape, which were not at issue. Bell v. State, 263 Ga. 776 (1994).

Nancy's reaction is one of apples and oranges:

It's a lifetime of work," she said, noting that she decided to become a lawyer after her fiance was murdered.

[Tracian]

I do know the prosecutorial misconduct is true and if I remember correctly she was sanctioned for it.. it happened many many years ago in Georgia. I will have to look see if I can find it...


Thanks, I am curious as to what it was about.

IIRC once on her show someone mentioned that she never lost a case....maybe this is why.

[LiveLaughLuv]

here from her own mouth...

could be I heard only a rumor...sorry but I truly thought misconduct....:girl_sad: I'm still looking though...

KING: Why'd you leave it?

GRACE: Well, really, through no decision of my own. Again, the district attorney I served under had been the longest serving D.A. in this country. For 37 years, he was elected, believe it or not. And finally, he decided (ph), he called me to his office and told me he wasn't going to run again.

I begged him, please, because what was I going to do with a law degree?

KING: Didn't you -- didn't you have civil service protection?

GRACE: Well, yes, but whenever a new D.A. comes in, they fire everybody.

KING: I thought you can't fire a civil servant.

GRACE: Yes.

KING: You worked under a different kind of contract.

GRACE: Yes.

KING: You weren't like, the clerk in the filing office...

GRACE: Yes, you can be fired. Correct.

KING: ... who couldn't be fired.

GRACE: Correct. And...

KING: Did you quit?

GRACE: Well, I didn't know what I was going to do. So it was very...

KING: Why not wait to talk to the new D.A.?

GRACE: It was very -- I mean, well, everyone that was running made it very clear they wanted to clean house, start over. And that is not uncommon. You're in charge. You want your own people around you. There's nothing wrong with that.

So I didn't know what I was going to do. The thought of doing slip and falls and contracts, ew! I didn't want that.

KING: No desire to be a defense lawyer?

GRACE: I couldn't live with myself. You must look at a jury and make up alibis and try to get someone off.

KING: Are you saying defense lawyers do that?

GRACE: I -- I say that defense attorneys very often choose to believe a client. And...

KING: So what...

GRACE: ... I clearly didn't want to do that.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0502/20/lkl.01.html

[Tracian]

Thanks LLL

There is no doubt in my mind that NG became very jaded, first by her fiance` and then by dealing with some of the cases she had to deal with.

As I said, I don't really care for her style, but it is not a shocker by the way she interviews or handles herself on the show.

[Pandabear]

http://www.truthinjustice.org/carr.htm

<snipped>

But Carr's conviction was overturned in 1997 when the state Supreme Court found the trial judge improperly admitted unreliable evidence that a trained dog had detected a fire accelerant at the scene.

The court also strongly rebuked then-prosecutor Nancy Grace -- now host of Court TV's "Closing Arguments" -- of engaging in "inappropriate and, in some cases, illegal conduct in the course of the trial."

This included, Carr's appeal said, an illegal search of Carr's home to allow one of Grace's expert witnesses to view the crime scene and allowing, before the trial, a CNN television crew to enter Carr's home while filming a feature on her.

[LiveLaughLuv]

FOUND WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR....whew, saved .:girl_haha: I don't ususally start rumors...





11th Circuit: Nancy Grace 'Played Fast and Loose' With Ethics
Federal appeals court raps former prosecutor
Jonathan Ringel
Fulton County Daily Report
May 4, 2005


Nancy Grace, the host of a self-titled legal show on CNN Headline News, "played fast and loose" with her ethical duties as a Fulton County, Ga., prosecutor in 1990, a federal appeals panel has declared.

Monday's decision by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a triple murder conviction won by Grace, explaining that her actions didn't change the result of the trial. It is the third time appellate courts have admonished Grace for her conduct as a prosecutor in Georgia. Grace served as an assistant district attorney in Fulton from 1987 to 1996, leaving that year to join Court TV as a commentator.

The three-judge panel on Monday criticized Grace for not following her obligations to disclose to the defendant's lawyer information about other possible suspects. The 11th Circuit also agreed with a magistrate who found it hard to believe that Grace did not knowingly use a detective's false testimony that there were no other suspects.

"Despite the failure of the prosecutor to fulfill her responsibilities," wrote Judge William H. Pryor Jr., the Georgia courts were not unreasonable to have upheld the convictions of Herbert Connell Stephens.

A Fulton jury held Stephens responsible for the June 1990 murders of John Davis, Toria Pope and Tony Daniel at the Red Oaks housing project in Atlanta. Stephens was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences.

Grace on Tuesday denied hiding that other people might have been involved with the crime, noting one of her witnesses said so in open court.

"While some of the comments of the court are hurtful to me," she added, "I am thankful for the unanimous decision" keeping the verdict intact.

Stephens' lawyer, G. Terry Jackson of Savannah's Jackson & Schiavone, said he was disappointed with the ruling and would consider asking the full 11th Circuit or the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.

"It's very clear Mr. Stephens did not receive a fair trial," said Jackson.

Stephens' original trial lawyer, Fulton public defender Kenneth D. Kondritzer, called the court's description of Grace as playing "fast and loose" with ethical rules "an understatement."

Stephen Gillers, a legal ethics professor from New York University School of Law, wrote in an e-mail that Grace's actions regarding the detective were serious, "because submitting false sworn testimony to a court is probably the gravest violation of legal ethics."

DEFENSE KEPT IN THE DARK

The major issue before the courts reviewing the Stephens case was the existence of arrest warrants for two other people suspected of the murders. Stephens' lawyers have said that information could have steered the jury to acquit Stephens.

One witness identified John Wesley Ragin and Travis Williams as having been at the scene of the crimes along with Stephens and four conspirators. The four conspirators pleaded guilty the day Stephens went to trial and were sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Arrest warrants were issued for Ragin and Williams, but they never were indicted, according to the Georgia Supreme Court's 1994 review of the case, which upheld Stephens' convictions.

Although Kondritzer did not find out about the warrants until after the trial, "there is no proof that the State deliberately concealed the existence of those warrants," wrote Justice George H. Carley for the unanimous court.

Carley also dismissed claims that police testimony saying there were no suspects other than Stephens was false as a result of the arrest warrants. The justice noted that the evidence underlying the arrest warrants was admitted at trial. Stephens v. State, 264 Ga. 761 (1994).

Stephens' habeas corpus challenges to the verdict failed at a state court and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, with both citing statements from 10 witnesses who either saw Stephens shoot the victims or saw him at the scene.

The federal judges, however, showed they were troubled by Grace's actions. U.S. Magistrate E. Clayton Scofield III wrote in 2003 that the "overwhelming" evidence of Stephens' guilt made it unreasonable to think that false testimony indicating there were no other suspects would have made a difference.

Scofield added that he was not condoning Grace's actions, writing, "The prosecutor clearly played fast and loose with her disclosure obligations in this case." Stephens v. Hall, No. 1:99-CV-1317 (N.D.Ga. April 2, 2003).

Judge Charles A. Moye Jr. accepted Scofield's report, adding he "reluctantly finds that there was sufficient evidence" to support the state courts' conclusions. Stephens v. Hall, No. 1:99-CV-1317 (N.D.Ga. Sept. 11, 2003).

At the 11th Circuit, Pryor noted that the court was bound by rules requiring it to be "highly deferential" to state courts' rulings. He was joined by Judges Gerald B. Tjoflat and Joel F. Dubina.

Pryor pointed out that during testimony of the state habeas case, Grace denied that detectives provided her with the arrest warrants that were at the heart of Stephens' claims.

"Regardless," Pryor added, "it was Grace's duty to learn about the warrants and disclose them" to Stephens' lawyers. Pryor later said the court agreed with Scofield's belief that Grace "played fast and loose" with her ethical duties.

But the state courts were not unreasonable, Pryor concluded, to say that Grace's failures did not materially change the result of the trial. As a result, the panel rejected Stephens' arguments that Grace's actions constituted a violation of his due process rights. Stephens v. Hall, No. 03-15251 (11th Cir. May 2, 2005).

GRACE'S THIRD SCOLDING

This is the third time Grace's conduct as a prosecutor has been criticized by an appellate court.

In 1997, the Georgia Supreme Court skewered Grace for her actions in prosecuting Weldon Wayne Carr for allegedly setting fire to his house and murdering his wife. Carr later was freed when Fulton prosecutors waited too long to bring him up for a retrial. While the court reversed Carr's 1994 conviction for other reasons, the justices said Grace withheld evidence entitled to the defense and made improper opening statements and closing arguments.

"We conclude that the conduct of the prosecuting attorney in this case demonstrated her disregard of the notions of due process and fairness, and was inexcusable," wrote then Chief Justice Robert Benham. Carr v. State, 267 Ga. 701 (1997).

In 1994, the Georgia high court voted 6-1 to reverse a heroin trafficking conviction won by Grace because she "exceeded the wide latitude of closing argument" by referring to drug-related murders and serial rape, which were not at issue. Bell v. State, 263 Ga. 776 (1994).

Two calls and an e-mail to CNN officials seeking comment were not returned.

Asked whether her run-ins with appellate judges discredit her as a legal commentator, Grace noted that she tried more than 100 jury trials and handled thousands of guilty pleas in more than 10 years as a prosecutor.

"It's a lifetime of work," she said, noting that she decided to become a lawyer after her fiance was murdered.

Echoing the tone she frequently takes on her TV show, which often focuses on crime victims, Grace asserted that Stephens was responsible for murdering three young people.

"Who knows what they could have become today?" she asked.

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1115111123854

[packy]

Packy, I remember there was another factor at the time IMO, which might have caused Melinda to take her life. It was just about an hour or so before Melinda shot herself, it had been reported in the media, Trenton's body had been found in a dumpster. I remember it had been on a radio station.

Also I remember she had been alone at her grandparent's home, did she hear the false report and believed it? We know it turned out not to be true, but did Melinda feel guilt for Trenton's death and had been found out or possibly she thought someone else had killed him and was devastated. Not that NG didn't set her on edge, but who really knows what made MD do it.

One thing which always bothered me was Melinda discarding so many of Trenton's belongings in the dumpster. What frame of mind in a mother, of a missing child would do such a thing?

I do agree, Nancy G can be relentless and I have stopped watching her program. Well sometimes I catch a show now and then. :faintTHUD: A lot easier to read than watch.

It would be wonderful if baby Trenton is still alive.

I remember the false report. And that as well as many things could have triggered what she did.

[awakening2lite]

I think we being to slide down a very slippery slope once we decide we know the inner working of the mind of a suicide victim and that the words of another was the cause which left the victim with no other choice.

There is always more than one choice.

[Tracian]

Thanks to LLL and Panda!!! Interesting stuff there!

[nanabillie]

OC said exactly the same things I was thinking. I have a hard time listening at all to NG now. I was watching the show the night MD was on there and it seems like there might have been a ticker across the screen about her killing herself? Anyone remember? But, I do think Nancy was trying to save Trenton's life.
I believe she thought Melinda had hidden him or something and that she could, I hate to use the word bully, but to intimidate Melinda so that she would say where he was.
NG can be very rude and is most nights I think, but I don't think for one minute she would do anything that she thought would case harm to anyone. All my opinion....

And as hard as it is some times to watch Nancy to find out if there is anything new, I have to admit to putting my set on mute when Susan Moss starts to talk. It's like running your fingernails over a black board to me.
To me the only good thing that will come out of this ordeal is that Trenton will at least have his name mentioned a few times. That poor baby is still missing. :missing:

[LiveLaughLuv]

I think we being to slide down a very slippery slope once we decide we know the inner working of the mind of a suicide victim and that the words of another was the cause which left the victim with no other choice.

There is always more than one choice.

Lite, one cannot just fire away at a victim cause NG thinks she's guilty. A fragile mind is dangerous. MD was being accused by NG as doing something to her child. Maybe she's not strong willed, strong minded and that caused her to go over the edge...

Seems to me, NG hasn't learned a darn thing. Her line of questioning is always strong, once she has an opinion, you cannot sway her..:0009:

[emmeblu]

I think NG pushes the envelope with her guests.. no doubt.
But,
I do not believe that interview would be enough to send an innocent mother who is looking for her child into a closet with a gun. JMO
If I had a missing child, I may be willing to put up with the over rated drama on NG just to keep my child's face in the news.

Emotionally fragile people get fired from jobs and commit suicide but the former boss is not held responsible. Then, remember the Jenny Jones show a few years back with the "secret lover theme" and one guest killed the other guest. The show was ordered to pay 25 million even though Jenny Jones did not pull the trigger herself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jenny_Jones_Show

[P.I.Jane]

IMO, because Melinda was a woman, there is sympathy for her and the way Nancy talked to her.

I find it interesting that those that think Nancy was 'hard' on Melinda, and say 'innocent until proven guilty' in another high profile case are convicting a father that as far as LE has told us, has a solid alibi, is still highly suspect. This same father though accused of child and spousal abuse, has never been convicted of either offense, but the allegations continue to linger when he is discussed.

I am not saying on this board in particular, but we all do form opinions in regards to the people involved in these cases. Nancy did not ask Melinda 'hard' questions, these are questions that anyone would gladly answer if their child was truly missing and they truly wanted their child back.

IMO, Melinda would have done the same thing, once LE started cracking down on her...this though tragic for Trenton, was not the fault of anyone but Melinda.

I agree with you, Tracian. LE was far harder on Melinda than Nancy Grace could ever think about being. Melinda was tough and stood her ground with LE with no problem whatsoever. As each day passed after Trenton went missing she looked more and more guilty and was the prime focus of LE. She didn't kill herself because she was upset with Grace. She killed herself because she knew that she wasn't going to get away her plan to frame Josh and it was all coming down on her.

If Melinda was so upset about her interview with Grace, then why the next morning did she call a local radio show to encourage people to watch the interview? You don't do that if you are so humiliated that you want to kill yourself.

Melinda had years of internal issues. She threatened and tried to kill herself in the past. In her mind, she knew what she had to do to to keep her Grandparents sympathy and it worked.

Frankly, Melinda killing herself was horrible, but what about Trenton? Because Melinda's not so loving parents saw $$$ signs and filed suit, Grace was forced to stop talking about Trenton. That's just wrong.

[Amusedtdth]

http://www.app.com/article/20100127/ENT/100127011/0/NEWS03/Nancy-Grace-s-deposition-can-be-videotaped-judge-says


THE ASSOCIATED PRESS • January 27, 2010

ORLANDO, FLA. — A judge has ruled that talk show host Nancy Grace can be videotaped while answering questions in a Florida wrongful death lawsuit.




But lawyers representing Melinda Duckett's family can't share the recording with
"any third party" or disclose any portion of the testimony without the federal
magistrate's permission. Grace's lawyers wanted to bar the videotaping to spare Grace embarrassment.


Duckett's family is suing the host of HLN, formerly CNN Headline News. They blame her for inflicting emotional distress on the 21-year-old Florida mother during an appearance on her talk show in 2006 after her son Trenton went missing.

Related
Nancy Grace objects to videotaped deposition

Grace accused Duckett of hiding something. Duckett shot and killed herself the day the taped interview was scheduled to broadcast.

[P.I.Jane]

Lawsuit: Nancy Grace employee knew of Melinda Duckett's mental instability

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/media/photo/2006-09/25382152.jpg
Melinda Duckett, the mother of missing 2-year-old Trenton Duckett, holds a picture of her and her son following a news conference at the Leesburg Police Department. Melinda was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. (STEPHEN M. DOWELL, ORLANDO SENTINEL / August 29, 2006)


OCALA - A filing in a federal lawsuit against Nancy Grace says an employee of the cable talk show knew Melinda Duckett had once been involuntarily committed for mental instability before the Florida mom was grilled on the show.

The documents, filed by lawyers for Duckett's estate in a wrongful-death claim, also says Keren Schiffman, who booked guests on Grace's show, misled Melinda Duckett's lawyer, Kimberly Schulte of Leesburg, about the nature of her client's appearance.

Duckett reported that her 2-year-old son, Trenton, was missing from his bedroom of their garden-floor apartment in Leesburg on Aug. 27, 2006. She then committed suicide at her grandparents' home in The Villages on Sept. 8, 2006, hours before her interview was scheduled to air on Headline News or HLN, a division of CNN.

Grace, the host of a self-titled show on HLN, formerly CNN Headline News, is being sued by Duckett's family. They blame her for inflicting emotional distress on Melinda Duckett during a taped interview for the show.

Jay Paul Deratany, a South Florida lawyer representing Duckett's family, argued in the court document that Schiffman's testimony is important because it suggests negligence and can help prove that Grace and her show's employees "tricked" Duckett's lawyer into allowing the 21-year-old mother to appear on the program.

Lawyers for Grace, including Judith Mercier of Holland & Knight's Orlando office, submitted a written response Friday in federal court, describing the estate's filing as "filled with inaccuracies and misrepresentations."

Schulte, who testified at a deposition Dec. 21, was not told that Grace planned to interrogate Duckett.

According to the filing, Schulte "testified that the CNN booker/producer represented to her that the purpose of the show was not to interview or question Melinda Duckett about the disappearance, but that it was 'a picture show to help find Trenton' and that they 'wanted pictures, to put pictures on the show to help to try to find Trenton.' "

Schulte was later "shocked, upset and dismayed…to the point that she swore at Ms. Schiffman."

Grace, who testified in a deposition Jan. 28 in Atlanta, said she was not informed of Schiffman's representations to Duckett's lawyer and did not read any pre-interview notes Schiffman made about Duckett

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-nancy-grace-melinda-duckett-20100205,0,3572244.story

[P.I.Jane]

Melinda's attorney knew she had been involuntarily committed for mental instability yet she okayed Melinda to appear on the show. So how does that fall on Nancy Grace that her producer knew about it? It doesn't.

Also, the Eubank's have claimed that Melinda has never had mental issues so how can they now use this as part of their case?

The Eubank's can't have it both ways.

[LiveLaughLuv]

Hazen's News Blog

Nancy Grace: no need to study background material
By Bob Hazen @ February 5, 2010 9:36 AM
You might think Nancy Grace spends hours and hours poring over the details about Casey Anthony or Tiger Woods. But, according to a new court document, she pretty much shoots from the hip without studying up on what she's talking about.

Nancy is being sued by the family of Melinda Duckett, who killed herself just hours after doing an interview with Grace about her missing son, Trenton. Duckett got hammered hard, with Grace drilling her for not explaining what she was doing the day Trenton disappeared in Leesburg.

Duckett's family blames Grace for driving the young mom to the suicide, and they give us some of the basis for that in a new court filing.

Nancy was deposed, and you probably remember all the stories about her fighting to keep any record of that deposition from making it into the public view. A judge even sided with her, saying any tape of the interview must be kept under seal, and details should not be released.

Too bad for her, Duckett's lawyer wrote up an "addendum" to their complaint that includes a whole bunch of juicy details.

The February 2nd motion claims Grace's "bookers" (basically the people who line up guests for the show) contacted Duckett and pitched the idea of coming on the CNN Headline News program to do a "picture show" of Trenton. Duckett's attorney said in a deposition they did not believe it would be an interview, much less a grilling, and they agreed to show the photos in the hopes it would help bring the child home.

That booker was also deposed, and admitted what Duckett's attorney alleged, plus that she knew Duckett was a little bit cooky: she'd been "Baker acted," meaning she was involuntarily committed for mental treatment. It also means she could be a danger to herself or others.

So, her attorney claims, Duckett went on the show with the belief she would just be answering a few questions about her missing son while Nancy would pretend to be heartbroken and desperate to find Trenton.

But apparently, that's not the message that got to Grace. She too was deposed, and to use her words, dropped a couple of bombshells.

Grace says she had no clue that Duckett didn't know where the interview was going to go:

Ms. Grace disclosed that she was not informed by Ms. Schiffman (her producer) about any of the representations made by Ms. Schiffman to Melinda Duckett's attorney, Ms. Schulte, about what the nature or purpose of the interview was to be.

One might believe that. If the booker's job is to get guests on the show, no matter what, why bother telling Nancy what not to ask? Once the person's voice is on the air, they're locked and loaded.

But it goes on. Nancy told the deposers that even though her producer may have written all the information up in pre-show notes, she doesn't bother to read that stuff.

Ms. Grace acknowledged that there are pre-interview notes available for her to review prior to an interview which outline questions that were asked of the interviewee, here Melinda Duckett, and answers provided by said interviewee. Ms. Grace also testified that she routinely throws such notes out and does not review them.

That's got to make you feel good about your work if you're that producer. While it's pretty clear her show is largely tabloid and sensationalist, you'd like to think she would put a little more personal research into it.

I know that the times I've been on Nancy's show, her producers go through a pre-interview to firm up what I know about the case, theoretically so she won't ask me a question only to hear me blather on for a few minutes with no real answer. But I also know that regardless of what I told those producers, you have no idea about what question is going to come out of her mouth.

(deleted what was here)

But enough digression. What's the new deposition mean? Duckett's attorney sums it up.

The gravamen of Plaintiffs' claim is that Defendants, with knowledge that Melinda Duckett, was mentally ill and/or potentially mentally unstable, and that her child was missing, that there was an ongoing police investigation, either negligently or intentionally misrepresented or "tricked" the attorney into allowing Melinda to go onto the show.

I don't want to sound like I think Duckett was the innocent victim here. Investigators have said she is the prime suspect in the disappearance of her son. And she probably did kill herself out of guilt.

Grace's team is also fighting back against the release of the deposition details. They filed their own motion asking for it to be stricken from the court record.

Read the motions for yourself!

February 2nd motion
Grace's Response


http://wdbo.com/blogs/hazens_news_blog/2010/02/nancy-grace-no-need-to-study-b.html

[LiveLaughLuv]

You either love her or hate her, I don't think there's an in between...

In all fairness to NG, did she know that MD was mentally unstable?

NG beats to her own drummer. She's known for being rude, crass and aggresive. She is a former prosecutor and her line of questioning may be agressive but it was to get details out about Trenton. She is a crime victims' advocate, she's a former prosecutor and if she got some details that police weren't able to get, so be it..If you watch NG, and choose to be on her show, then you are also aware of how agressive she tends to get, she's rude and sometimes obnoxious but her sole purpose is for justice.

What happened with MD, IMO, is on her. She committed suicide due to her thinking that maybe her jig was up. That she was responsible for Trenton's demise and should say what she knows. NG's ultimate goal was to find out what happened to Trenton and where was he...:1222423:

[JoJoScorpio]

I don't think that whether Melinda was unstable or not had anything to do with any of it. Nancy didn't ask anything out of line and she wasn't anymore obnoxious with Melinda than she was with anyone else. I agree with Jane, Melinda's attorney knew about her mental background and didn't feel there was a problem with her being on the show or even felt there was enough of a problem that LE should be alerted to a potential situation where Melinda might be a danger to herself or others. I just can't see how anyone can think that Nancy's interview with Melinda could have caused her to kill herself. If she was really that fragile, then Ms. Schulte and Melinda's grandparents should be shouldering the blame right along with Nancy for not protecting her.

[KittyMom]

IMO, MD's family are quite willing to put a price tag on the life of their daughter. Sadly, Trenton wasn't as valuable to them. They never traveled to FL to look for him. And when you think about it, that in itself tells us lots about how they felt about their daughter.

[KittyMom]

Melinda's attorney knew she had been involuntarily committed for mental instability yet she okayed Melinda to appear on the show. So how does that fall on Nancy Grace that her producer knew about it? It doesn't.

Also, the Eubank's have claimed that Melinda has never had mental issues so how can they now use this as part of their case?

The Eubank's can't have it both ways.

But, but, they're the Eubanks. Sort of like being an Anthony. They're entitled.

Maybe MD's birth parents should file suit against the Eubanks.

[Amusedtdth]

It still doesn't bring back precious little Trenton.

[KittyMom]

It still doesn't bring back precious little Trenton.

Nope it doesn't. Only one person knows where Trenton is and she deliberately silenced herself forever.

[nanabillie]

From PI Jane's post #42,

The fact that she called a radio station to tell everyone to watch the show, in my opinion should be enough for a dismissal of the law suit. It sure didn't sound like she was emotionally upset over it to me.

[Rooster]

From PI Jane's post #42,

The fact that she called a radio station to tell everyone to watch the show, in my opinion should be enough for a dismissal of the law suit. It sure didn't sound like she was emotionally upset over it to me.

Excellent Point !!!