Dan With Christine Flowers: CRISIS AT CORNELL!

Attorney and columnist Christine Flowers and Dan tackle the topic of the moment: Crisis at Cornell, The Court of Law vs The Court of Public Opinion. What's happening and why -- and what are the legal ramifications?

Oh, My! Take A Look At This!

Generic Ballot — Hispanic voters

🟥 Republicans 50% (+13) 🟦 Democrats 42% (-8) (+/- shift vs 9/17)

@Rasmussen_Poll

| 9/24-30 | 1,794 LV

It's Cranberry Harvest Time In NJ!

Looking forward to that cranberry sauce with your turkey on Thanksgiving Day? Maybe some walnut cranberry bread or cranberry lemon muffins or cranberry cake or a cranberry cocktail,  too?

Well, those cranberries are being harvested right now here in South Jersey and they'll be ready for you. 

We took this video and these photos earlier today at Lee Brothers Cranberry Farm in Chatsworth which is part of the Ocean Spray cooperative. Great fun!

Italian American Heritage Month: The Piccirilli Brothers

Carved in the Bronx by Italian immigrant artisans, the mammoth Lincoln statue that we revere today was shipped to Washington, D.C. and assembled inside the Lincoln Memorial in 1920. Chiseled from Georgia marble by the renowned Piccirilli Brothers and sculpted by Daniel Chester French, the statue is a testament to American ideals and Italian craftsmanship. The brothers were also responsible for many other carvings in the nation's capital.

In 1888 Giuseppe Piccirilli (1844-1910), a well-known stone carver, brought his family to New York from Massa, Italy. The entire family, father and six sons – Attilio, Feirrucio, Furio, Getulio (Giulio), Masaniello, and Orazio – were trained as marble cutters and carvers. They lived in a brownstone on 142nd Street in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx and set up a stone-carving atelier next to their home that would eventually occupy an entire city block.

In addition to carving the lions for The New York Public Library, the Piccirilli Brothers carved the six allegorical figures representing History, Romance, Religion, Poetry, Drama, and Philosophy that adorn the Library’s Fifth Avenue facade.

A selection of their other commissions in New York includes: The Four Continents by Daniel Chester French and 12 allegorical statues on the cornice of the U.S. Custom House at Bowling Green; the New York Stock Exchange pediment by J.Q.A. Ward; 30 large allegorical figures for the cornice of the Brooklyn Museum; the Maine Monument in Central Park and the Firemen’s Monument in Riverside Park, both sculpted by Attilio; and an innovative glass relief at Rockefeller Center, also by Attilio.

The Courtroom, The Public And The Razzle Dazzle

It's happened again. Just a few weeks ago, we saw it in the heart-wrenching trial of Lindsay Clancy. And now, the possibilities loom once more in the explosive rape allegations coming out of Cornell University, one of America's most prestigious institutes of higher education.

We're talking about the clash between the court of law and the court of public opinion.

In today's media saturated world knowing the difference between the court of law and the court of public opinion is vital if you want to have any sense of what's actually happening.

The most important thing to remember about the court of law and the court of  public opinion is that they couldn't be more different. 

They are almost like the two sides of the brain. One's more rational and linear. The other's more intuitive and non-linear. Think of the court of law as the verbatim transcript of a murder trial. Then, think of the court of public opinion as the same trial reported by TMZ.  That's an exaggeration, to be sure. But now, you're starting to comprehend the difference. For a better understanding, consider the following: 

1) In the court of law, facts theoretically count for something and the facts of the case are collected carefully and methodically and presented in some kind of order. In the court of public opinion, the facts may not be facts at all, and what information is brought forward is collected in a haphazard and fragmented manner and presented in bits and pieces in an often sensationalized fashion.

2) In the court of law, the rules are reasonably clear and they are presented to and known by all parties beforehand. In the court of public opinion, there really are few if any rules and besides, even if rules seem to exist, those rules can change at any moment.

3) In the court of law, the principals pretty much know who the main characters in the drama will be. In the court of public opinion, we never know who will pop up on which side and what role he or she may play.

4) Generally, the court of law is quiet and structured. People speak when spoken to. Only one person speaks at a time. Equal time is given for each side to present its case. A single presiding officer remains in charge. There is a clear sense of order and authority. The court of public opinion, on the other hand, is noisy and often downright chaotic. People do not wait to speak. Sometimes several voices are heard at once. While equal time guidelines may seem to exist, that does not mean they will be observed. No one seems to know who is in charge and the party who appears to have the "upper hand" may change many times during the course of the proceedings. There is virtually no sense of structure or order.

5) In the court of law, the proceedings have a beginning, a middle and an end. At some point, the matter is brought to a conclusion. A decision is made. In the court of public opinion, there often is no finality - no deciding moment. Just when you thought the story was over, a new chapter emerges. Today's victory can be tomorrow's debacle. The hero of 2025 is the villain of 2026. "Hot-button" issues now are "old hat" in a matter of weeks if not days.

If these contrasts seem to smack of hyperbole, think for a moment about some of the stories and characters that have inhabited the court of public opinion in recent years. The murder of George Floyd and the trial of Derek Chauvin. The charges against Kyle Rittenhouse and his subsequent law suit. The tales and travails of Jussie Smollett. Britney Spears' financial tussle with her dad. The legal journey of Bill Cosby. And, of course, who can ever forget the O.J. Simpson trial which became its own long-running daytime drama? 

And now the Clancy case and impending allegations of a gang rape.  One continues to play out in the court of public opinion following a hung jury while the other unfolds as a possible future trial. 

The court of public opinion hosts a variety of issues and personalities in a continuously chaotic, unpredictable setting. The whole show unravels in front of an often mesmerized audience that isn't always sure what it's seeing or what to think about it. 

Now, all along, of course, the audience is part of the show as the principals carry out a breakneck effort to sway the jury of public opinion. Glancing into this shrill well of public discourse, one can understand Ralph Waldo Emerson's frustration when he concluded: "The people are to be taken in very small doses."

Ideally, one would hope for a strong, sturdy wall between the two courts. But that simply is not the case -- if, indeed it ever was.

In the end, democracy demands that the people's voice be heard. That voice is what we call public opinion. And that collective opinion is monitored, scrutinized, analyzed, disseminated, amplified, manipulated and some might say magnified to the point where it is a force unto itself. 

And the court of public opinion is the collective environment in which this continuing process occurs. It is an environment inhabited by media moguls, TV cameras, cell phones, street reporters, satellite dishes, pollsters, newspaper scribes, podcasters, focus groups, social media influencers, bloggers, reality TV, marketing strategists, docudramas, packs of paparazzi, anchorpersons, commentators, talking heads, serious authors and ordinary Janes and Joes. Like it or not, it's a vital and integral part of what we call the popular culture. 

And, for better or worse, today's savvy lawyers are attuned to the court of public opinion and are adept at playing it like a fine instrument to advance their case in the court of law. They thrive within the periodic intersection of the two courts.

Or, as Billy Flynn sings in the iconic musical Chicago:

Give 'em the old three ring circus
Stun and stagger 'em
When you're in trouble, go into your dance

Though you are stiffer than a girder
They'll let you get away with murder
Razzle dazzle 'em
And you've got a romance.

Italian American Heritage Month: Guy Williams

Armando Joseph Catalano (1924-1989) was born in New York to immigrant Sicilian parents.  

He grew up in Little Italy in the Bronx, and began his career as a model, including for cigarette and toothpaste brands. His agent Henry Wilson changed his name to Guido Armando, then to Guy Williams.

In 1957, at the age of 33, Walt Disney chose him to play Zorro. Guy Williams played the role of the Masked Justice for 82 episodes, directing every stunt and duel. 

His dashing good looks, eloquence and charm had female hearts fluttering, while the male audiences admired his fencing dexterity and effortless ladies'-man appeal. The Disney series was so popular that certain episodes were culled together and released into two feature films. He also played Professor John Robinson in Lost in Space.

He became a huge star!

Well, Well, Well . . . Look At This!

 

We'll Say It Again: The Numbers DON"T LIE!

Look at the numbers! The hike in grocery prices happened under Biden, not President Trump. Under Trump, grocery prices have risen at or below the historical average. It's hard to fight the facts. Don't be deceived!

The Big Tent Republican Party Of Donald Trump

relatable 😂

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) October 4, 2026

So Many Of Us Remember This . . .