By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell book
BBC - Honduras - CIA Trial book - NY Mag
NY COURT 60 CENTRE ST, Nov 10 – Paul Haggis of "Crash" fame was on the witness stand in New York State Supreme Court on November 4, and Inner City Press was there, live tweeting here and below.
On November 10, the jury found Haggis liable for rape, for at least $7.5 million. While Haggis mouthed "It's OK," Breest said she was "very grateful." The jurors will return on November 14 to deliberate on punitive damages.
Back on November 7, Leah Remini by video told the jury " in this case I believe it is Paul who is the victim." Then Breest's lawyers called as an expert a document, also by video, about Haggis' Italian operation. Inner City Press live tweeted here:
OK - back in Breest v. Paul Haggis trial in NYS Supreme, witness (by video) is a spine surgery expert who hasn't performed any such operation since 2013. Haggis' lawyer Chaudhry objects, gets overruled.
Annals of civil litigation: "Expert" who hasn't done a surgery in 10 years is interpreting an Italian medical record shown translated as "no fever, illegible illegible illegible and rest and illegible illegible daily (?)". Haggis stony-faced at defense table
Now Haleigh Breest's lawyer asks the witness, How long after such a surgery could the patient have sex, showing a transcript stating "guys can kind of just lie there & I say for them, 2 or 3 weeks, & for women, a month to six week." This expert/witness disagrees.
The witness is shown Haggis' testimony that "I stood 1st & I reached over. I bent over to try to put my fingers inside her tights and pull a little," and that "she was pulling them back up." Now the money shot: Doc: could he have done it? Doc: Yes, he was capable
More Breest testimony shown: "He lifts my dress over my head. I'm trying to keep my arms tight, but he's able to get it off, my dress and my sweater. I wasn't wearing underwear, because I don't typically wear underwear under tights, so I didn't have anything on."
One of Breest's lawyers hand a note to his colleague who's questioning the doctor. Haggis drinks water. Jurors still staring the transcript of Breest's testimony, which remains on a big video screen in front of them.
Haleigh Breest's lawyer: Let's take a look at some of the trial testimony about forced oral sex. Haggis now stroking his chin. Doc: He was capable of doing this activity described in the testimony ("he started jamming himself into my mouth").
Now on the screen: Haggis' testimony "I measure myself from my knee to my-- the base of groin." Doctor/witness: That can't be accurate. If these numbers were correct, Mr. Haggis would be four feet tall.
More Breest: "He started jamming his finger inside me and he said, You're nice and tight. And I said, Stop. Stop. Stop... [Later] I was like a trapped animal. There was nothing for me to do. I was there.
From November 4: Haggis' lawyer Priya Chaudhry: How many cinema society events have you been invited to?
Haggis: Hundreds. I went to one third, maybe.
Haggis' lawyer: Why did you attend the "Side Effects" event?
Haggis: I had to speak to Jude Law.
Haggis' lawyer: How would you describe the signals Ms. Breest was sending you?
Haggis: She was into it. Very into it.
Haggis' lawyer: What about Ms. Breest's email to you while you were in Italy?
Haggis: She was asking about an actor being added to the cast.
Haggis' lawyer: When you got into the car, was there touching? Breest's lawyer: Objection! Judge: Overruled. Haggis: Yes
Haggis' lawyer: How did you interpret Ms. Breest saying she wouldn't sleep over? Haggis: That she'd have sex, but not stay over. Haggis' lawyer: How many fire escapes do you have? Haggis: Two.
Haggis' lawyer: Did you use the word f*cking that night?
Haggis: Sure
Haggis' lawyer: What was Ms. Breest's response to you saying "f*cking"? Haggis: Oh, you're asking about me saying f*cking? I might have said a restaurant was f*cking amazing. I didn't mean to be derogatory when I caller her coy
Breest's lawyer: Non responsive!
Haggis' lawyer: What was your tone and demeanor when you asked, You're afraid of me, aren't you? Haggis: Uh, curious... Sometimes she was stop kissing, step back and have a glass of wine. I couldn't figure out what was going on. I offered to put her in a taxi.
Haggis [9/26/19 deposition being played] - "She's coming back to kiss me. I was confused... She started laughing, pulling back up her tights. Squiggly. Like, squirming. She said, I don't want you to see me, I'm fat. I said she's adorable, I turned off the lamp.
Haggis: I found the right button. I dimmed the lights. I pulled down her tights. Haggis' lawyer: Did she say no? Haggis: Like, no, I don't want you to see me, I'm fat. "She did not say no in the way one means no. Her no was qualified."
Haggis' lawyer: Did Ms. Breest ask for a condom before your p*enis was in her mouth? Haggis: I don't know why one would.
Haggis' lawyer: Have you ever said, Put my d*ck in your mouth? Haggis: Yes I have.
Haggis' lawyer: Ever use lube? Haggis: Once. With Deborah. Q: Do you enjoy an*l sex? Haggis: As compared to what? Not as much as regular sex. Haggis' lawyer: Was that true? Haggis: Yes.
Haggis' lawyer: What stood out about the evening? Haggis: The oddness and the oral sex, very pleasurable
Haggis' lawyer: How many sexual partners have you had? Haggis: Several dozen. [Surreally, during the answers the sounds of cheering from out on Foley Square wafts in through the tall windows of the 4th floor courtroom]
Haggis' lawyer: You've seen the photo of yourself and Nick Hunt? Haggis: Yes. I told Andrew Sanford not to post photos of me. Haggis' lawyer: Your tweet about Harvey Weinstein....
Haggis' lawyer: Did you pay Ms. Renard to write a letter in your support? Haggis: No (sobbing) she's amazing. Breest's lawyer: Objection, non-responsive.
Haggis: She said, you don't need to pay me anymore --
Breest's lawyer: Move to strike.
Judge Sabrina Kraus: Granted.
Haggis' lawyer: What if any involvement does Mr. Cruise have in Scientology? Haggis: Everyone knows. He believes himself to be the 2d most important person in Scientology-
Breest's lawyer: Objection. Beyond the scope. Irrelevant.
Judge: Denied. The answer stands
Haggis' lawyer: When did you become aware that Mary Kitchen accuses you of saying, I need to be inside you? Haggis: They were working together. Haggis' lawyer: You said when a woman turns away from your kiss it doesn't mean no Haggis: It might mean, it's too early
Email shown, request made to Haggis to write a letter to UN Immigration for Mary Kitchen.
Haggis: She was asking me to lie. And I won't do that. I told Gian Sardar my assistant to change the language. She asked me for a deal memo, a sort of pre-contract
Haggis: I put "For Her" on the deal mom; it was later "The Next Three Days." Haggis' lawyer: What is a back story? Haggis: For minor characters you don't even have one. Haggis' lawyer: In this text, Jacinta Kuznetsov running to see you. Haggis: Yeah. Pretty cool.
Haggis lawyer: Where were you when you joined Scientology? Haggis: Canada. Haggis' lawyer: And where are the four Jane Does in this case from? Haggis: Canada
Haggis: I wanted to be a good man. I wasn't ready for a second marriage. [Voice cracks] Haggis' lawyer: Are you referring to sexually assaulting anyone? Haggis: No.
Haggis' lawyer: No further question. Passing the witness. Judge: No more passing. You can go.
Next witness is Haggis' long time (23 yr) assistant, nom de plume Gian Sardar (we'll call her that). Gian Sardar: Since 2010 I work for him from LA, while he's in NY. Q: Any problems with him as a boss? Sardar: Not really. People like him. He's a little flirty
Q: Haleigh Breest claims he forced himself on her sexually. Do you believe it? Gian Sardar: No. Haggis' 2d lawyer: Let's talk about these emails with Mary Kitchen-- Judge: No, we've heard about these already.
Haggis' 2d lawyer: Following Mr. Haggis leaving Scientology, do you have contact with them? Gian Sardar: They didn't want him to leave. It was nerve-wracking. Haggis' 2d lawyer: And during his marriage to Ms. Renard-- Gian Sardar: He has some consensual affairs.
Cross examination. Breest's lawyer: Mr. Haggis is a good writer, right? Gian Sardar: He's a writer. Breest's lawyer: He's a master story teller... Let me know you DX 28 [It's Mary Kitchen, about the visa application]
Breest's lawyer: Let me know show where he tells Mary Kitchen he's "fucking intrigued." And this e-mail, where he asks, "You still freaked out, he asked, smiling wickedly" - did you see this? Gian Sardar: No. Breest's lawyer: So you don't see all of his emails
Breest's lawyer: What's you salary from Mr. Haggis? Gian Sardar: It's very little... Like $30,000. Breest's lawyer: Were you aware Mr. Haggis had 20 affairs? [At defense table, Haggis smiles or smirks while whispering to his Number 1 Lawyer]
Judge Kraus: We're done for the day. But we won't be done Monday.
Note: Inner City Press readers may remember Priya Chaudhry from the guilty plea of RHOSLC's Jen Shah, which Inner City Press covered here and here and here.
To be continued.
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