Music and LyricsThe case of Paul Cortez, the personal trainer–musician accused of murdering a dancer who snubbed him, took an odd turn yesterday when the prosecution offered the defendant’s song lyrics as evidence of his violent tendencies. The Times quotes Cortez’s attorney, Dawn Florio, who claimed that songs like “The Killin Machine” were perfectly normal for her client to have written: “Rock stars don’t write about tulips and butterflies,” she explained. Objection, hearsay. — Lori Fradkin
Lyrics and Diaries Offered as a Portrait of a Killer [NYT]