I’ve had requests to comment on TDPK’s courtroom demeanor in the each of the three times I’ve seen him in action.
The first time I saw Brett Kimberlin was in the lobby of the Montgomery County Courthouse in Rockville, Maryland, on 5 July. A short time later the Peace Order appeal trial (Kimberlin v. Walker) got underway in a courtroom on the 9th floor. Brett Kimberlin was well dressed and well groomed. He might have passed for one of the lawyers in the building. At the beginning of his “prosecution” of Aaron Walker, TDPK’s manner appeared confident and his voice strong. As his presentation was met with successful objections and as the judge kept ruling his “evidence” didn’t meet the requirements of the rules of evidence, Kimberlin’s manner became more strident. By the end of the trial when the judge found that there was no evidence to support a Peace Order, TDPK’s shoulders were slumped and his voice whiney.
The next time I saw Brett Kimberlin was in the Old Courthouse in Rockville for the Kimberlin v. Norton Peace Order appeal trial. This time TDPK was wearing the same suit, but it looked as if he had slept in it. The whole “trial” was over in a matter of about 5 minutes because TDPK was smart enough to withdraw his petition. His manner was quite subdued.
The third time I saw TDPK in court was the Walker v. Kimberlin, et al. hearing last week. He was in the same suit again, slightly less rumpled. When he was explaining his motion to the judge, he was whinny from the very beginning, and he seemed to visibly flinch when the judge cut him off and began asking pointed questions. I was in the second row from the back in the courtroom, so I had a good view of him as walked out after the hearing. He was definitely not a happy camper after being told that he had less than 7 hours to comply with discovery in the case.
So how has his demeanor changed from July to October? He seems more strident and whiney. It’s almost as if he’s beginning to understand he’s fighting a losing battle but isn’t at the point of admitting it yet.
As the net draws tighter, it’s reasonable to expect that TDPK’s level of frustration will increase. I’m keeping both eyes open.
UPDATE—Aaron Walker has reminded me of how poorly Brett Kimberlin handled being questioned about SWATting during the July trial. As Mr. Walker says, TDPK “lost his cool” during Reginald Bours’ probing. He has never become that agitated when being questioned by a judge.
UPDATE 2–Spelling error (lousy autocorrect) fixed. Thank you to Dyspeptic Curmudgeon for proofreading support.
Thank you for this story. it is one I have certainly been wondering about. Isn’t the July 5 appearance the one where BK got pissed because he was asked about, “Swatting?”
There were no other outbursts like that? Darn. I like hearing he lost his cool when his legal arguments, such as they are, got blasted to bits.
It is good to hear that he may be realizing that he bit off more than he can chew. I certainly hope your assessment is correct.
Methinks it’s horses that ‘whinney’ and petulant children who are ‘whiney’.
As in ‘Do you want cheese with that whine, Mr. Kimberlin?’
Thanks. Fixed it.
BTW, his whine is cheesy enough on its own.
I’m reminded of Kimberlin’s fellow sociopath Ted Bundy. One of Bundy’s defining characteristics was a vaulted self-confidence, and an unshakable belief that he would outsmart the authorities sufficiently so that his death sentence would never be carried out. Alas, he did not. It was said that Bundy suffered a psychological collapse towards the end as he had to come to grips with his fallibility and mortality.
What I am patiently waiting for is the spectacle of Kimberlin being humbled. Kimberlin is about to learn some lessons sociopaths find hard to grasp. Eventually, lying catches up with you. The ability to inspire and motivate people is orders of magnitude more effective than manipulating them. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but, you can’t fool all the people all the time. There is something to said for always staying on the right side of the law. No matter how smart you are, there are people out there that are just as smart, or smarter. And, a man who has to brainwash a little girl throughout her childhood to find a suitable mate isn’t which of a man at all.
In his own mind, Kimberlin probably still believes he is going to win this one. At a minimum, Kimberlin believes as a worst case scenario he will drive up Walker’s costs and never pay a cent. At some level, he probably still believes he won’t be compelled to cooperate with discover, or open the books of the JTMP. In his own mind, Kimberlin probably believes the we-forwarded-your-compaint-to-the-proper-persons form letter response ["Don't call us! We'll call you!"] he received concerning his complaint against the Bloggers Defense Club means there might be an indictment at any moment. And, he probably believes numerous Congressmen will intervene to protect him.
Screaming between the lines of all of Kimberlin’s filings is the aggressive self-confidence of the sociopath. Psychologically, he is still were Bundy was months before his death. Events are not going to unfold to the liking of Brett Kimberlin. Kimberlin is going to have to come to grips with his fallibility, and, the very real prospect of his going back to prison. I’m going to enjoy watching that spectacle.
Sit back, watch, be patient, and enjoy!