Susan Polk: A Fool for a Client?

The murder trial of Susan Polk, for the death of her 70-year-old husband, is becoming a textbook example of why defendants should never act as their own attorneys, as the judge in the trial admonished her that she was losing the jury's attention with her cross-examination of her son.

"Some of the dialogue is almost like you're having a conversation that you've wanted to have for three years," Superior Court Judge Laurel Brady told Polk out of the jury's presence. The judge's comments came after Polk spent hours cross-examining her 23-year-old son Gabriel, who is a witness for the prosecution.

Gabriel Polk testified on direct examination that Susan Polk threatened the life of Felix Polk, his father, on numerous occasions. He also painted a dark picture of the family's life and told the jury about finding his father's body.

Settled Wrongful Death Suit

But Susan Polk's cross-examination of her son focused on what the judge called "minutiae" -- details about his childhood, relationships with his brothers and other broad subjects that often resulted in answers that were harmful to her case, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

For example, during the questioning of her son, it was revealed to the jury that she settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by two of her sons for $300,000.

See Also:
Judge Questions Susan Polk's Cross-Examination of Her Son
Polk Settles Sons' Wrongful Death Suit
Polk's Son -- "There's Bad With The Good"

Background:
Susan Polk: Murder or Self-Defense?
Wife of Attorney Daniel Horowitz Found Dead

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