Karen Sypher Trial Day1: It's finally here but I can "make it go away for $10 mil"

Shoooooooooou. FINALLY I can let that deep 1 year long breath out, it seems like I've been holding my breath for ever... but it's here and I can quit waiting. If you what you know about the court system is from the various "Law and Order" or the time you had to go to court for public indecency, we've got the dumb and dumber version of what's going on in the court room. So to start, we're well beyond the Lenny Briscoe stage of the show. Today kicked off the court room portion... daa dun... opening ceremony statements being made and a FBI agent testifying.

Prosecutors Statement Summary: They have staked their claim that Sypher to tried to destroy Pitino's reputation. They are seeking charges against Sypher for 1) Attempted Extortion, 2) Retaliation against a witness, 3) Lying to FBI. They began their case by calling agent Steve White to talk about phone records and recordings.

My take - They have to walk a thin line to make sure they don't make a case for Sypher being crazy. While she's nuts, they have to show she simply likes them and hasn't become one.

Defense Statement Summary: They are claiming Pitino raped Sypher twice, once at Porcini's in Louisville and again at a private residence. Sypher was forced to have an abortion and was threatened with "concrete shoes" if she talked. He husband Tim was the muscle and Pitino was the Godfather running the show. As for the charges of extortion, they say that it was Sypher's jilted lover turned stalker, Lester Goetzinger, that was extorting Pitino. Goetzinger made the calls to Pitino on his own and he is the sole person resposible for asking for the $10 million dollars.

My take - We've learned about another guy Sypher has allegedly had sexual relations with --- go figure. If Ricky P didn't know where that cold sore came from, he's going to have a few guesses over the next couple weeks.

Here's a summary (with a little help from the Courier Journal) on the Key Players you will come to know over the next 2 weeks (the expected length of the trial). It is just absent Tom Jurich and Dr James Ramsey the people in question as to the reason Pitino was kept despite violating his 'morality' clause. And if you missed the timeline, feel free to get a little background information.

The Accused
Karen Cunagin Sypher , 50. Blonde woman known for her one-crayon short of a box/brick short of a full load/sandwich short of a picnic demeanor. She's a former car-show model and auto-glass saleswoman. She's has four kids and is the ex-wife of University of Louisville athletic-department employee Tim Sypher.

The Defense
James Earhart , 50. He's the poor sap that was appointed counsel for Sypher after she fired her previous attorney and couldnt find representation.

The Victim
Rick Pitino , despite his appearence he's 57 and the men's basketball coach at University of Louisville; former coach, Boston University, Providence College, University of Kentucky, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.

The Prosecutors
John E. Kuhn Jr. , 52. Prosecuted 301 federal cases. The US Attorney's office has a 90% conviction rate.



The Judge
Charles R. Simpson III , 65. Soon to be known as the Judge Ito of the Southeast, Simpson is a Graduate, University of Louisville and U of L law school; appointed to U.S. District Court in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan.

The Witnesses:
Dana Kolter , 55. Attorney; instructor at Louisville Martial Arts Academy, he holds black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and was a leading man behind Jackie Chan for Karate Kid; is five-time winner of the Bluegrass Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament, and recently started line of martial-arts clothing called “Poison Hands.”

Lester Goetzinger , 50 Friend of Karen Sypher for 15 years; charged with aiding and abetting Sypher's alleged extortion attempts, the charge will be dismissed if he completes a one-year federal diversion program and pleads guilty to being criminally insane for having sexual relations with Sypher.

Tim Sypher , 50. Ex-husband of Karen Sypher, former U of L basketball team equipment manager; now runs the Yum! Center practice facility; was a firefighter and an investigator for the state of Massachusetts for 10 years before becoming Pitino's personal assistant when he was Boston Celtics coach;

What's Next: Pitino expected to take the stand tomorrow in what is sure to be a spectacle.