She poked. She prodded. Then prosecutor Lisa Green asked intrusive questions that no polite person would ask. But Green was doing her job.
During the afternoon break today, a sister of Joanie Harper had a verbal confrontation with Green in the court hallway. I didn’t catch the entire conversation, but it sounded angry. And it ended with the sister, Elaine Byrd, storming out of the courthouse crying. From what I could gather, Byrd was unhappy with Green’s line of questioning of Joanie’s good friend, Kelsey Spann. “It would be hard for her, and it would be hard for me, too,” Byrd said. Earlier in the morning, Spann took the stand and broke down several times. The Harper family was murdered almost four years ago. Members of the Harper family say the emotional wound has healed over. Now, Green is pulling off the band and reopening the sores. But it’s necessary. However hard, Spann has to take the stand and relive painful moments. And Green has to ask the tough questions. She has to make sure Spann’s testimony is accurate, to the best of Spann’s knowledge. The Harper family deserves it. And so does Vincent Brothers.
