Subject
Re: Kinbote is not Capote; potustoronnost'
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³...so, I am not convinced that it was possible to
Kinbote and I address my question - how realistic is the story
that Kinbote had an interview with Gradus - to the list.²
Sergei
Sergei,
It is unlikely that Kinbote could have obtained a jail house or prison
interview with Gradus.
The rules have not changed much from the time of Pale Fire to today.
Prior to trial, a prisoner held for first degree murder* would be in max
security, which would mean that only the closest representatives of the
immediate family: this means a wife (spouse); one parent, if there is no
spouse; an eldest child if the child is eighteen (the age changes according
to the state), would have been able to see him. And that would be for a
period of less than a half hour, according to the state in which he was
held. It could be as short as ten minutes, which the State figures is enough
time to show the family member that the prisoner has not been abused while
incarcerated. ALL INTERVIEWS are monitored by guards.
All interviews take place in a fairly large room with prisoner and visitor
speaking to each other through a partition of bullet proof glass.
The only exceptions to the above TIME LIMITS (and only the time limits) are
visits from the prisoner¹s legal representative. Incontrovertible proof
that the legal representative is indeed who he/she says she/he is must be
shown to prison authorities.
It is unlikely that Kinbote could have faked his way through as an attorney,
and it would have been impossible for him to gain an interview by merely
saying he was a scholar interested in the case. At least until long after
the prisoner¹s case had been decided.
We¹re generally talking years here.
Time limits on interviews are nonnegotiable. As mentioned above, there are
no private interviews until quite awhile after the prisoner has been found
guilty (if he is found guilty). At this stage, interviews may be granted on
the basis of the prisoner¹s good behavior.
Again, all interviews are conducted through glass partition and are
monitored and time limits are strictly observed.
To use an example I have already seen on the N-List, I adduce the Capote
interviews with his two cute thugs. Capote, in the first film (I haven¹t
seen Infamous yet), is shown buying his way past the usual rules by paying
off the warden. Well, wardens are only human. But, for the most part,
Truman¹s impromptu interviews in the cell block, with uninspected gift
packages, are HIGHLY irregular. Maybe this is permitted for prisoners who
are on death row with the countdown already begun. Also, Truman had a
remarkable personality that gained him admittance to many select places. If
his marvelous personality had not gotten him past the bouncers at Studio 54
quite so often, he might be alive today to add his own thoughts here.
*First degree means that the accused has been proved to have planned the
murder in advance. He has chosen his weapon in advance with the specific
purpose of using it to kill his chosen victim, and he has chosen the time
and the place of the assault. Gradus¹ assault on Judge Goldsworthy, or on
John Shade, would qualify as first degree. If only we knew whether this was
a case of ex-con Jack Gray returning to kill the judge who sent him up the
river, or whether this is a case of Jakob Gradus, assassin attempting to
murder Charles the Beloved and accidentally killing the next door neighbor,
a shambling ashamed-of-his-own-bright-and-talented-daughter John Shade, who
might have been receiving divine retribution for being so blind,
thoughtless, and ungrateful.
Actually, if it were proven that Jakob Gradus had actually intended to kill
Charles Kinbote aka V. Botkin and accidentally killed an innocent neighbor,
the case would not be first degree, but it would not mitigate any of the
security measures described above. Same goes for crazy ex-con Jack Gray who,
intending to kill the judge who sentenced him (and this has happened, and
not just once or twice. VN could easily have read of such a case.)
accidentally killed a neighbor. The charge drops to second degree or unless
the accused can get something better than a court appointed attorney.
Hope this has been helpful. Except for my footnote, all the above is true as
I know via friends of mine who are lawyers, and two friends who are judges,
and two friends who for some reason I don¹t see much anymore who are
convicted killers. I apologize for all mistakes and will correct and
explain more clearly on request. I am tired right now from staying up late
watching the election results.
Andrew Brown (Democrat and Proud)
On 11/7/06 8:43 PM, "NABOKV-L" <NABOKV-L@HOLYCROSS.EDU> wrote:
> so, I am not convinced that it was possible to
> Kinbote and I adress my question - how realistic is the story
> that Kinbote had an interview with Gradus - to the list.
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Kinbote and I address my question - how realistic is the story
that Kinbote had an interview with Gradus - to the list.²
Sergei
Sergei,
It is unlikely that Kinbote could have obtained a jail house or prison
interview with Gradus.
The rules have not changed much from the time of Pale Fire to today.
Prior to trial, a prisoner held for first degree murder* would be in max
security, which would mean that only the closest representatives of the
immediate family: this means a wife (spouse); one parent, if there is no
spouse; an eldest child if the child is eighteen (the age changes according
to the state), would have been able to see him. And that would be for a
period of less than a half hour, according to the state in which he was
held. It could be as short as ten minutes, which the State figures is enough
time to show the family member that the prisoner has not been abused while
incarcerated. ALL INTERVIEWS are monitored by guards.
All interviews take place in a fairly large room with prisoner and visitor
speaking to each other through a partition of bullet proof glass.
The only exceptions to the above TIME LIMITS (and only the time limits) are
visits from the prisoner¹s legal representative. Incontrovertible proof
that the legal representative is indeed who he/she says she/he is must be
shown to prison authorities.
It is unlikely that Kinbote could have faked his way through as an attorney,
and it would have been impossible for him to gain an interview by merely
saying he was a scholar interested in the case. At least until long after
the prisoner¹s case had been decided.
We¹re generally talking years here.
Time limits on interviews are nonnegotiable. As mentioned above, there are
no private interviews until quite awhile after the prisoner has been found
guilty (if he is found guilty). At this stage, interviews may be granted on
the basis of the prisoner¹s good behavior.
Again, all interviews are conducted through glass partition and are
monitored and time limits are strictly observed.
To use an example I have already seen on the N-List, I adduce the Capote
interviews with his two cute thugs. Capote, in the first film (I haven¹t
seen Infamous yet), is shown buying his way past the usual rules by paying
off the warden. Well, wardens are only human. But, for the most part,
Truman¹s impromptu interviews in the cell block, with uninspected gift
packages, are HIGHLY irregular. Maybe this is permitted for prisoners who
are on death row with the countdown already begun. Also, Truman had a
remarkable personality that gained him admittance to many select places. If
his marvelous personality had not gotten him past the bouncers at Studio 54
quite so often, he might be alive today to add his own thoughts here.
*First degree means that the accused has been proved to have planned the
murder in advance. He has chosen his weapon in advance with the specific
purpose of using it to kill his chosen victim, and he has chosen the time
and the place of the assault. Gradus¹ assault on Judge Goldsworthy, or on
John Shade, would qualify as first degree. If only we knew whether this was
a case of ex-con Jack Gray returning to kill the judge who sent him up the
river, or whether this is a case of Jakob Gradus, assassin attempting to
murder Charles the Beloved and accidentally killing the next door neighbor,
a shambling ashamed-of-his-own-bright-and-talented-daughter John Shade, who
might have been receiving divine retribution for being so blind,
thoughtless, and ungrateful.
Actually, if it were proven that Jakob Gradus had actually intended to kill
Charles Kinbote aka V. Botkin and accidentally killed an innocent neighbor,
the case would not be first degree, but it would not mitigate any of the
security measures described above. Same goes for crazy ex-con Jack Gray who,
intending to kill the judge who sentenced him (and this has happened, and
not just once or twice. VN could easily have read of such a case.)
accidentally killed a neighbor. The charge drops to second degree or unless
the accused can get something better than a court appointed attorney.
Hope this has been helpful. Except for my footnote, all the above is true as
I know via friends of mine who are lawyers, and two friends who are judges,
and two friends who for some reason I don¹t see much anymore who are
convicted killers. I apologize for all mistakes and will correct and
explain more clearly on request. I am tired right now from staying up late
watching the election results.
Andrew Brown (Democrat and Proud)
On 11/7/06 8:43 PM, "NABOKV-L" <NABOKV-L@HOLYCROSS.EDU> wrote:
> so, I am not convinced that it was possible to
> Kinbote and I adress my question - how realistic is the story
> that Kinbote had an interview with Gradus - to the list.
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm