When Grandma Goes To Court
Lawyers should never ask a Mississippi grandma a question if they
aren't prepared for the answer. In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting
attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand.
He approached her and
asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know me?' She responded, 'Why, yes, I do know you,
Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a boy, and frankly, you've been a
big
disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people
and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you
haven't the brains to realize you'll never amount to anything more than
a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.'
The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room
and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?'
She again replied, ' Why yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was
a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He
can't build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of
the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with
three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him.'
The defense attorney nearly died.
The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very
quiet voice, said, 'If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll send
you both to the electric chair.'