ELIZABETH, New Jersey –The divorce trial between former New Jersey governor James McGreevey and his estranged wife, Dina Matos McGreevey, resumed Tuesday in an Elizabeth courthouse.

Once again, Mr. McGreevey took the stand to testify that he has nowhere near the financial resources to pay Matos McGreevey the support she is seeking – but later in the day, as the defense began its own case, a forensic accountant suggested that the ex-governor’s earning potential is actually much higher than he’s led the court to believe.

Earlier, forensic accountant Sharon Maggio testified that McGreevey has generated no celebrity good will, a condition which would theoretically enhance his earning capacity. But on Tuesday afternoon, the defense’s own forensic accountant, Kalman Barson, testified that McGreevey actually has the potential as a lawyer to earn well over $1,000,000 per year – far in excess of the $48,000 or so he earns now.

It’s come down to a battle of the experts in the McGreevey divorce trial – and at some point, the judge will have to sort it all out for herself.

–In Session staff

NEW YORK — So OJ Simpson pleaded not guilty. He wants us to believe he’s innocent. All over again. Can you believe that? Well I can. And I do presume him innocent until the state proves him guilty in this case. Because that presumption of innocence, well it’s not about OJ. It’s not about me. It’s not about you or any one individual.

The presumption of innocence is about our country and what it stands for. Think about it: if you lived in another country, most other countries, in fact, and were arrested for a crime you’d be presumed guilty. And it would be your burden to prove your innocence. Not an easy thing to do when you’re just one person up against the power and persuasive resources of the government.

So in this country, our freedom is our most cherished value. And for the state to take it away? Well, they have to work at it. In every case. Even this one. So you may not like OJ. You may even think he was guilty in that other case all those years ago. But take away OJ’s right to a fair trial this time around and you take away that right for all of us. And that is the Last Word.

–Jami Floyd, In Session anchor

NEW YORK — I have lots of girlfriends who are getting divorces and they’re not going to like this, but why doesn’t Dina Matos McGreevey just go out and get a job? I know she’s got one. But she’s going to lose it when the hospital she works for closes.

So maybe that’s why we have this ugly divorce. Times have changed. Women have jobs and when we lose them we do the same thing men have been doing for decades; hit the pavement. Sure he can make money. But she can too, maybe more. The book, “Silent Partner.” Her turn on Oprah. She’s pretty, she’s smart. And she’s a role model for her daughter. Of course, Mr. McGreevey should help support their little girl until she’s an adult and can what? Get a job. Which is exactly what her mother needs to do.

But instead, the lesson Dina Matos is teaching her daughter is to rely on a man for your livelihood, whether you’re married to him or not. And that’s not the lesson we should be teaching our daughters in the year 2008. I tell my daughter to get an education, get a job and never ever expect a man to take care of you. Because the days of women contracting for a life of leisure are over. Or they should be. And that’s the Last Word.

–Jami Floyd, In Session anchor

SEATTLE, Washington – Dr. Robert Wheeler continued his testimony Tuesday with a treat for jurors after lengthy expert testimony in the case of Naveed Haq; a simple-to-follow, plain-language, chronological development of events – with a brief explanation of how each point in this timeline supported his conclusions.

Haq is charged with killing one person and injuring five others in a shooting at the Jewish Federation headquarters here on July 28, 2006. He has presented an insanity defense in the case.

Wheeler told jurors that Haq was certainly capable of appreciating his actions and their consequences – from picking a target and the best weapon, to surrendering in a manner that ensured his survival.

“There was a plan in place; there was an objective to the plan; and there is nothing to suggest that capacity was impaired by his mental state,” he said.

–In Session staff

ELIZABETH, New Jersey – Along with the legal wrangling, it is sad to sit in the courtroom at the divorce trial of former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey and his estranged wife, Dina Matos McGreevey.

This couple must have been close companions at one time, sharing not only a child, but common goals and aspirations. Now, just a few feet separate them but they do not acknowledge each other’s existence. It’s a sad thing to witness, but something that must be a common occurrence when a divorce ends up in a courtroom.

McGreevey, the plaintiff here, casually talks to the New York and New Jersey media during breaks in proceedings or after court. They address him as governor, and he addresses them with a smile and sometimes a joke.

Matos McGreevey, the defendant, sits alone and ladylike at the defense table, seriously listening to the testimony and taking notes. She speaks only to her legal counsel.

The former governor is set to continue his testimony today, and when McGreevey’s part of this divorce action is completed, Dina Matos McGreevey is then expected to take the stand.

–Jean Casarez, In Session correspondent

NEW YORK – Earlier this month, Mildred Loving died. She was born Mildred Jeter, and she was only 18 when she and her boyfriend, Richard Loving, decided to marry. But first they needed permission. Not from their parents, but from the U.S. Supreme Court.

That’s because Mildred was black and Richard was white. And in 1958, it was illegal for them to get married in a majority of states. Forty-one years ago next month, we celebrate the landmark Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia which overturned those laws. But society was slow to change. Interracial couples faced discrimination in employment and housing. Their children were called “mixed nuts.”

So in 1973, a man named Arnold Adoff wrote this beautiful children’s book to celebrate these families. It’s called “Black is Brown is Tan” and it’s written in the beat poetry style of the day: “black is brown is tan is nose is face is all the colors of the race. This is the way it is for us this is the way we are. Kiss big woman hug big man black is brown is tan.”

Well, after the Loving case came down, the Lovings and their children lived a quiet life and all around them the world changed. Now people from different races are marrying in increasing numbers. The couple aptly named Loving made it possible, and taught us that true love is color blind.

–Jami Floyd, In Session anchor 

SEATTLE, Washington – A diagnosis alone does not diminished capacity make; so said prosecution experts Monday during the rebuttal case against Naveed Haq. Haq is on trial for killing one person and wounding five others in a shooting on July 28, 2006 at the Jewish Federation headquarters. He has presented an insanity defense.

While psychiatrist David Dunner and psychologist Robert Wheeler agreed Haq suffers from chronic mental illness, neither found evidence he was in the midst of a manic or depressive episode at the time of the shooting. Both doctors testified Haq had the capacity to appreciate the nature of his actions – and form both intent and premeditation.

–In Session staff

ELIZABETH, New Jersey – James McGreevey – the ex-governor of the State of New Jersey – and his estranged wife, Dina Matos McGreevey, were back court Monday, as the couple’s divorce trial continued in an Elizabeth courtroom.

Once again, the focus of the trial shifted from the parties themselves to an expert witness – in this case, a forensic accountant who testified that neither McGreevey has earned the type of celebrity goodwill from the public that could translate into higher earnings in the future.

There’s no question that James McGreevey’s resignation from office – triggered by the disclosure that he was sexually involved with a male staffer he had appointed to a lucrative position – was widely reported.  Each McGreevey subsequently wrote a highly publicized book about the ordeal. But according to Sharon Maggio, a CPA who compiled reports in this case for James McGreevey and his legal staff, the concept of celebrity goodwill is different from fame or notoriety.

“That fame or notoriety has to somehow turn into money, and it has to be enhanced money . . . my conclusion was that neither of them have any celebrity goodwill; neither of them reached a place during the marriage that would translate into enhanced earnings opportunity, into extraordinary earnings going forward.”

–In Session staff

NEW YORK — I couldn’t decide today about whether to write about former New Jersey governor James McGreevey or polygamy. Both stories making big headlines. But they have something else in common. Both are cases about people living outside the mainstream, at great personal cost.

For the fundamentalist Mormons, plural marriage is God’s will. And as for Mr. McGreevey, he quote “looked deeply into…his soul to decide his unique truth in the world,” and his truth is that he is a gay American.

So what’s our truth? What’s the truth behind our interest in Jim McGreevey, his wife, his sex life? Well, it is unusual for a governor to admit that he’s gay. McGreevey was the first. In fact, it’s still out of the ordinary, in most parts of this country to be gay. And it’s downright strange to practice polygamy. All of which is ironic since this country was founded on freedom of religion and the right of individuals to live free from state interference.

Oh sure, like McGreevey, polygamy is premised on, both cases, allegations that somebody did something wrong. Laws were violated. But to tell the truth, the cases are really about society using the law to punish folks who are different.

–Jami Floyd, In Session anchor

ELIZABETH, New Jersey – For a second day, former New Jersey governor James McGreevey took the stand Thursday in his own divorce trial. Throughout his cross-examination – as he had previously during his direct testimony – McGreevey claimed that his current assets and future prospects will not enable him to pay substantial alimony and child support to his estranged wife, Dina Matos McGreevey. Then, later in the day, the Court heard from an expert witness who bolstered Mr. McGreevey’s contention that his future prospects are surprisingly limited.

According to James McGreevey, making money has never been one of his goals. But during his years as governor, McGreevey and his estranged wife enjoyed a lifestyle that few civilians share. Following his resignation – triggered by the disclosure that McGreevey had appointed a man with whom he’d had a sexual relationship to a lucrative state position – McGreevey has worked primarily at jobs that he claims he received only through the kindness of friends and former associates.

Donna Kolsky, a vocational employability specialist, supported McGreevey’s contention that his employment prospects are severely limited. Last fall, she completed a report that finds the ex-governor’s lack of experience in any field other than public service – along with his notoriety – have sharply curtailed his future earnings.

–In Session staff