The Importance of Mrs. Stevens

Just as the best mechanics never take their eyes off a single part of an engine, talented lawyers never overlook any piece of a judicial puzzle. The media are not nearly as astute, which is why we're just now hearing about the importance of Catherine Stevens (not to be confused with that Cat Stevens).

Part of the defense's strategy from the beginning of this trial has been quietly but firmly reinforcing the idea that Stevens was preoccupied with being a US Senator in Washington while his wife focused on the now-controversial home renovations performed by VECO. If the defense can convince the jury that Stevens genuinely believed, from the limited information available to him, that everything was financially and morally in order, they've put themselves in a very strong position. Mrs. Stevens' upcoming testimony is crucial to the successful advancement of this argument; this week is the time to flesh out what they've been building up and make it stick in the minds of the jurors.

As a bonus, those of you interested in the way in which a patriarchal legal system interpellates its subjects, there promises to be lots of juicy conceptions of gender being advanced by both sides this week. A taste:

"They have a saying in their house that when it comes to things in and around the teepee, the wife controls," defense attorney Brendan Sullivan told jurors early in the trial.

Mmmmm, domesticity as a legal device.