EDA vs. William Lambert civil claim expected to go to jury mid-day Wednesday

After being impaneled approaching the noon lunch hour, hearing opening arguments sandwiched around that lunch hour, and slightly over four hours of plaintiff and defense evidence and witness testimony, a Warren County Circuit Court civil case jury was sent home at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday, July 19, in the case of the “Warren Economic Development Authority” (EDA, WC EDA, FR-WC EDA) versus William “Billy” Lambert. That second trial day starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday is expected to surround direct and cross examination of a final witness, defendant William “Billy” Lambert in his own defense.

As in the two previous EDA financial scandal civil liability trials, that defense centers on the contention that Lambert, a former boyfriend of EDA financial scandal central figure Jennifer McDonald’s sister, was unaware he had been lured into a web of entanglement surrounding McDonald’s alleged years of embezzlement and misdirection of EDA assets to her own, and others benefit. Defense counsel Phillip Griffin II claimed at least two of his clients’ signatures on home sales documents related to the EDA claim of $320,000 to $345,000 against Lambert were forged, and that those he did sign were done related to what he was told was a favor McDonald was doing for a friend related to her part-time work as a real estate agent with Campbell Realty while she was executive director of the EDA.

Photo of William Lambert from his Facebook page

Plaintiff counsel Cullen Seltzer countered that Lambert was a willing participant in the conspiracy to defraud the EDA of assets, whether he was the primary beneficiary or not. Evidence was presented that Lambert received a check for $4,763 as a result of the movement of a home property at 400 Craig Drive in Stephens City in Frederick County between August 2014 and February 2015. The defense countered that Lambert never lived there and only visited the site once before it was sold, in asserting Lambert believed he was simply helping McDonald help a friend move a property they were sidled with.

McDonald was again a witness. Called by the plaintiff she answered a few questions on both direct and cross examination, before invoking her 5th Amendment right not to self-incriminate when asked for any detail on the real estate transaction and her relationship with the defendant. By this reporters count she invoked the 5th a total 51 times, 17 on direct examination and 34 on cross examination by the defense.

Will it be a late night for the third EDA civil liability case jury following closing arguments in the William Lambert case?

Other witnesses’ testimony largely revolved around the involved real estate and title companies personnel questioned about their recollections of the Craig Drive purchase and sales process; and former EDA staff and board member testimony on a lack of EDA authorization of any movement of EDA assets to the Craig Drive real estate transaction in another county.

More on this case after the final days testimony and presentation of the two sides closing arguments and conflicting “roadmaps” of what exactly transpired and who knew what and received what may have been stolen EDA assets as a result of the 400 Craig Lane, Stephens City real estate transaction, circa late 2014-early 2015.