THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2014
PAGE 11
LEGAL
Combative prosecutor makes mark in Pistorius trial
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PRETORIA, South Africa — Prosecutor Gerrie Nel fired another tough question at murder suspect Oscar Pistorius.
"Are you sure, Mr Pistorius, that Reeva did not scream after you fired the first shot?" asked Nel.
The athlete, who earlier said he was tired and struggling under the relentless interrogation, leaned back in the witness box and remained silent. The wood-lined courtroom in South Africa was hushed and expectant on Friday. Was Pistorius thinking through an answer, or was he on the verge of an emotional outburst, or was he reflecting on his predicament and Reeva Steenkamp, the girlfriend he killed in his home last year?
Oscar Pistorius puts on his jacket as he arrives at the high court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday. Pistorius is charged with murder for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day in 2013.
One of the highlights of his career came in 2010 when he secured the conviction on corruption charges of Jackie Selebi, a former national police
Pistorius often seemed worn down as the caustic prosecutor picked holes in parts of his story. The dramatic cross-examination has drawn attention to Nel, a prominent state prosecutor dubbed "pitbull" in local media and on social networks for his combative, often effective style.
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After a tense pause, the Olympic athlete said he wished Steenkamp had let him know she was in the toilet cubicle where he shot her — by mistake, according to his account. He said she did not scream, but also that his ears were ringing with the gunshot and he would not have heard screams.
commissioner and ex-president of Interpol — Nel got an international prosecutors' award for his efforts in that case.
Now Nel's international profile is ascending further after three days of challenging and even ridiculing the claim by Pistorius, 27, that he accidentally killed Steenkamp, 29, by firing through a closed toilet door, mistaking her for an intruder in his house before dawn on Feb. 14, 2013. The prosecution says the double-amputee runner is lying, and that he killed his girlfriend after an argument during which she fled into the toilet cubicle to seek refuge. Nel will continue questioning Pistorius on Monday.
A radio station made a parody rap song about defense lawyer Barry Roux, and now Nel has one too ("They call me Gerrie Nel/And I am mad as hell.") In The Times, a South African newspaper, cartoonist Zapiro depicted Nel as a bullet, his head on the tip, speeding toward an alarmed Pistorius.
He has a gentler side, according to Rapport newspaper. It reported that in his personal time, Nel teaches young children how to wrestle and that he is patient and never loses his temper with his students.
Pistorius' murder trial is being broadcast on television. While Pistorius is not shown on the screen during his testimony, viewers have watched Nel browbeat the once globally admired figure who reached a pinnacle when he ran in the London Olympics in 2012. Pistorius, who has been free on bail for the last year, could be
jailed for 25 years to life if convicted of premeditated murder and also faces three separate gun-related charges.
"You will blame anybody but yourself," Nel told Pistorius last week in an attack on the character of the athlete. It was an attempt to shred the defense's presentation of its client as humble, responsible and loving toward the woman he killed. At one point, Nel laughed derisively at one of a number of answers from Pistorius that he described as
evasive or contradictory, or downright false, prompting Judge Thokozile Masipa to reprimand the prosecutor for the outburst.
On another occasion, Masipa cautioned Nel to "mind your language" for accusing the athlete of lying.
In 2008, Nel was arrested in what his backers said was an attempt to interfere with the case against Selebi, the former police chief, but he was soon cleared. Nel was also head of the regional branch of the
Scorpions, a crime-fighting unit that was later disbanded in a decision that raised concern about the independence of law enforcement from politics. He was a prosecutor in a case leading to the convictions of two men for the 1993 killing of Chris Hani, an anti-apartheid leader whose death stirred fears of racial violence as South Africa transitioned from white rule to an all-race democracy.
court to fend his way through a crush of press and bystanders. On a recent afternoon, Nel left the court quietly, unassuming in a dark suit and open-necked shirt. Despite his newfound celebrity status, he walked across the street, almost unnoticed.
Surrounded by security, Pistorius daily leaves the Pretoria
GOLF
Bubba Watson wins another green jacket at Augusta
ASSOCIATED PRESS
All he cared about was slipping into that green jacket.
AUGUSTA, Ga. — One of golf's most exciting players squeezed most of the drama out of the Masters on Sunday. That's just fine with Bubba Watson.
Instead of hitting a 40-yard hook out of a forest of Georgia pines — the signature shot in his playoff victory two years ago — the final act Sunday at Augusta National took place on the 18th green. Watson had a three-shot lead and consulted with his caddie on a 15-foot birdie putt.
"I went over to him and I said, 'I'm not very good at math, but we've got four putts, right?' Watson said.
This was more about great golf than Bubba golf.
vatson kept his poise during an early burst of birdies from 20-year-old Jordan Spieth, turned the tournament in his favor with consecutive two-shot swings to close out the front nine, and coasted to a 3-under 69 to win the Masters by three shots over Spieth and Jonas Blikt of Sweden.
Watson made it look routine over the final hour. On a Sunday when Spieth was trying to become the youngest winner in Masters history and 50-year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez had a chance to become the oldest major champion, Watson turned in another masterpiece and joined an elite group as the 17th player to win multiple Masters.
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"Small-town guy named Bubba now has two green jackets." Watson said. "It's pretty wild."
Surprisingly for Augusta, the most compelling action was on the front nine.
His only nervous moment was a drive so mammoth around the corner on the 13th hole that it clipped a few trees
and still went some 360 yards, leaving just a sand wedge into the par 5. That was his lone birdie on the back nine. No one got closer than three shots the rest of the way.
"The shot out of the woods made me famous," Watson said. "But this one was a lot
BUBBA WATSON Professional golfer
better for me and my nerves."
This was nothing like the Masters he won two years ago, especially when it was over.
"Seeing him back there ... what an amazing feeling as a parent," he said. "And then throw on the green jacket on top of it just changes everything."
— decked out in a green-and-white striped Masters shirt and green tennis shoes — walking toward him. Watson had tears streaming down his face when he scooped him up, a prize as great as the green jacket.
When he tapped in for par on 18, there was 2-year-old Caleb
He dazzled the massive crowd early by holing out for birdie from the front bunker on No.4, and making back-to-back birdies to build a
Spieth could only watch from the side of the green.
"After giving it away last year, I wanted it back," Watson said. "I told Adam we could just swap it back and forth every year."
After high-fiving the crowd on his way to sign his card, Watson returned to Butler Cabin to take back that green jacket after slipping it on Adam Scott a year ago.
two-shot lead through seven holes. Bidding to become the first player in 35 years to win a green jacket in his first try, Spieth looked to be well on his way.
But he three-putted for bogey on No. 8 — the first six on his card all week — as Watson got up-and-down for birdie to tie for the lead. Spieth then made a rookie mistake, leaving his approach below the flagstick on No. 9 and watching it roll back into the fairway, setting up another bogey and two-shot swing.
Whatever prayer he had might have ended at Amen Corner.
His tee shot on No. 12 found Rae's Creek. He missed a short birdie attempt on the 13th.
Watson was too powerful, too experienced, too tough to beat. Spieth closed with six pars for a 72 and tied for second with Blitx, who never went away but never really threatened. Blitx shot a 71.
"Obviously, I've worked my whole life to lead Augusta on Sunday. And although I feel like it's very early in my career, and I'll have more chances, it's a stinger," Spieth said.
Nine players were separated by three shots at the start of the final round only for this to turn into a two-man show. For the opening two hours, it was anything but dull.
Watson finished at 8-under 280 and goes to a career-best No.4 in the world.
After trading pars on the opening hole, either Watson or Spieth — sometimes both made birdie or bogey over the next nine holes.
Two holes to close out the back nine changed everything. Amen Corner swung the Masters in Watson's favor for good.
watson won for the second time this year, and his second major puts him at the top of the Ryder Cup standings.
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Defending Masters' champion Adam Scott, of Australia, helps Bubba Watson with his green jacket after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday in Augusta, Ga.
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS UNIVERSITY THEATRE PRESENTS
By Gao Xingjian Translated by Gilbert C. Fong
April 11,12,15,16,17.2014 at 7:30 p.m.
April 13,2014 at 2:30 p.m.
William Inge Memorial Theatre
General admission tickets are on sale in the KU ticket offices: University Theatre, 864-3982; Lied Center, 864-ARTS; and online at www.KUTheatre.com. Tickets are $15 for adults, $14 for senior citizens and KU faculty and staff, and $10 for all students and children. All major credit cards are accepted. The University Theatre is partially funded by the KU Student Senate Activity Fee. The University Theatre's 2013-14 season is sponsored by Truity Credit Union.
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THE UNIVERSITY OF KU KANSAS
STUDENT SENATE
TRUITY
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