Cox deposition in Tamara Greene case wasn’t cordial, attorney says

Norman Yatooma said the deposition got heated. Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox said he couldn’t talk about it.

Both parties exited the U.S. District Court building in Detroit around 5:15 p.m. today after Cox was deposed throughout the day in the lawsuit brought by family members of slain exotic dancer Tamara Greene.

Yatooma, who represents members of Greene’s family, told reporters that he is not done asking questions and he and the Attorney General will hold a phone conference next week to try and schedule a date to continue the deposition.

“It’s not nearly finished,” Yatooma said. “I’m not certain that I can characterize what I learned in there today.”

Chief U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen has ordered the deposition sealed and told both parties not to discuss it.

Still, Yatooma said today’s deposition wasn’t friendly.

“No, it wasn’t cordial,” he said. “Look we’re not making friends, we’re lawyers, we’re making progress.”

Yatooma said Rosen had to get involved in the process today, but wouldn’t elaborate.

“The judge made it painfully clear that we all must keep our mouth shut about
what’s learned in these depositions,” Yatooma said.

Cox said he couldn’t discuss the deposition.

“I tried to answer all the questions and be as open as possible,” he said, after exiting the courthouse.

Greene’s family claims in a lawsuit that Detroit officials conspired to thwart the investigation into Greene’s April 30, 2003, drive-by slaying, which remains unsolved. Greene was rumored to have danced at a never-proven party in fall 2002 at the Manoogian Mansion.

Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Mark Krebs testified in an October deposition obtained by the Free Press that the investigation of the rumored party was thwarted by stonewalling from Detroit police, pressure from Cox’s office to finish the probe and reluctant witnesses.

Cox has consistently denied wrongdoing, sharply disputed Krebs’ characterization of his actions and noted that the party probe included interviews with 130 witnesses that yielded no evidence.

Before he entered the courthouse at 9 a.m. this morning, Cox said: “We did a righteous investigation and all the history since then shows that.”