Update on the PNNL case

I got some interesting information from my lawyer today. I turned over the interrogatories I had been working on. Interesting quote from my lawyer, “Interrogatories are the punishment you get for filing a lawsuit.” I didn’t see it that way. I actually enjoyed it. Apparently it showed. My response was composed of 12 CDROMs (about 250,000 files) and over 300 pages of paper. He said he expects it will be one of the best responses the PNNL lawyers have ever seen. We reviewed some of the CD content and he got this big smile on his face. “Their lawyers would be able to retire on the billings they could charge for this.” My lawyer said he will not be able to retire on his billings because I did all the work.

He saw the PayPal donation button on my PNNL.info site and with a big smile said, “I wonder if they (the PNNL lawyers) will donate to your case? Let’s see, if we donate $10,000 that could result in $250,000 in additional billings…” I wonder if that would be considered unethical?

Yes, I know, it’s taxpayer money that will be used to pay the lawyers and any settlement that might be reached. But I got a call from someone today that has been working on that issue and believes he may be able to turn off that spigot. I’m not convinced he can but I’m working with him on it.

I managed to find a letter I thought I had lost from a different lawyer that contained some information which shut off an escape route for the felons. I gave this lawyer a copy and explained the significance.  He laughed and said that it might be very useful.

We talked quite a bit about the lawyer they chose; Jerome R. Aiken of Meyer, Fluegge & Tenney. What’s most interesting about this guy is that his claimed areas of practice are:

  • Agricultural Law
  • Appeals
  • Consumer Protection
  • Product Liability Law

My lawyer only does employment law and has been doing it for 13 years.

On the felony issue–the PNNL felons (not all on this list were involved and some that were are not on the list) could refuse to testify on points that could incriminate them. But that refusal to testify can be used against PNNL. My lawyer would love to have them “take the fifth”. If they don’t refuse to testify then that gives them two other options. They can tell the truth and risk the criminal charges from their confessions and still damage PNNL’s case, or they can lie. Barb is betting they will lie. But they might be surprised what an experienced trial lawyer can do to a liar. And if we can prove perjury, in addition to the penalties imposed by the court, they could lose their security clearances.

A long time ago I read The Art of Cross Examination and loved it. I can’t find my copy so I ordered another one tonight. I need to get through it before the depositions start in April. I also downloaded an audio version of Win Your Case: How to Present, Persuade, and Prevail—Every Place, Every Time.

I wonder if Mr. Jerome R. Aiken will read Being underestimated by the enemy. It’s a little unlikely, even though it is one of those 250,000 files on one of those 12 CDROMs he will be receiving in a day or two. But one thing he probably will read, because it was on one of the 300 pages of paper, is this:

One of Huffman’s co-workers, who must remain anonymous (for fear of retribution from PNNL), knew Joe Huffman far better than McMillan and Hevland. In a meeting a few days after the firing, he told Huffman, “They haven’t got a clue as to what they stepped into.”

I’d love to see his face as he reads that.

Two last bits of sweetness… 1) my attorney’s female receptionist has a Concealed Pistol Permit and 2) my lawyer wants me to teach him to shoot.

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2 thoughts on “Update on the PNNL case

  1. Did you send text files on the CDROMs … or jpeg scans of pages of text?

    Jpegs have to be looked at by a human … textfiles can be “grep”ed.

  2. Jpegs would have increased the size by at least a hundred or even a thousand fold. And it would have taken a lot of time to do the conversion. And probably I would have been required to supply them the text files in the end anyway. So why make more work for myself? I have rightous goal and I don’t see any reason I can’t reach it by rightous means.

    There were lots of ideas on how to “make things difficult” for them but I decided to just play it straight. There is no need to look like a jerk to the judge. I want them to look like jerks, not me.

    Besides, even greping (or findstr which is what I started out with) is just the starting point for the analysis. Even after that there is a tremdous amount of work to be done. What I gave them will keep them busy for long enough.

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