David Harris' mom says marriage 'made in heaven' (Clara Harris murder trial)

Houston Chronicle ^ | February 10, 2003 | By ALAN TURNER

[MeekOneGOP]

HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Front page

Feb. 10, 2003, 12:01PM

David Harris' mom says marriage 'made in heaven'

By ALAN TURNER
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

EXTRA

Clara Harris is accused of running over her husband after catching him with his former receptionist at a hotel.

• From the arrest to the trial

Video:
Private investigator catches incident on tape
(Video courtesy of KHOU, Ch. 11. Video requires Real Player)

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The trial:
• The indictment
• What we know about them
• The experts: Why they're split over jurors
Preparing for the trial: Video report from Jan. 19.

The testimony:
• Day 1: Hotel employees tell what they saw
• Day 2: Grainy videotape reveals little
• Day 3: Clara Harris told private eye husband "a good man"
• Day 4: Defendant's sobs halt trial twice
• Day 5: Expert says her car hit him only once
• Day 6: Defense side tries to makes its case
• Day 7: Physical evidence vs. eyewitnesses
• Day 8: Mistress says David Harris said he had open marriage
• Day 9: Clara Harris takes the stand
• Day 10: Defendant tells of marriage's disintegration
• Day 11: She doesn't remember hitting her husband

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From the Chronicle's archives:
• The story of Clara and David Harris: They epitomized success and happiness, but underneath the facade... - Jan. 19
• The wife: Mother of twins kept to herself - Aug. 4
• The mistress: Mistress not a stranger to the spotlight - Aug. 4
• The married couple: Victim wanted to end marriage - July 27

David Harris' mother testified today that the union between her late son and Clara Harris, the woman who killed him, was "a match made in heaven" and that the two were "ideal for each other."

Mildred Harris was one of three members of David Harris' family to take the stand this morning as defense witnesses in Clara Harris' murder trial. She and her husband, Gerald Harris, and their other son, Gerald Harris Jr., painted a picture of a blissful marriage only slightly marred by "controversy."

Both Mildred and Gerald Harris Sr. have shown support in the past by accompanying their daughter-in-law to court.

"David loved her very much," Mildred Harris testified under questioning from defense attorney George Parnham. "In 10 years, I never heard him say a negative thing about her."

Gerald Harris Sr. said he had been talking to his orthdontist son about the affair with office manager Gail Bridges.

"My impression was that they were doing very well early on," the elder Harris said. "They had some controversy, had some difficulties. We had a lot of conversations with them, and they seemed to be making progress."

His son, Gerald Harris Jr. -- a psychology professor at the University of Houston -- drew aggressive questioning from prosecutor Mia Magness on cross-examination after describing Clara Harris as "peaceful and law-abiding."

Magness ran through a litany of actions by Clara Harris leading up to the night of the murder, including trespassing at Bridges' home, vandalizing her car and then attacking Bridges in the lobby of the Nassau Bay Hilton Inn.

Gerald Harris Jr. kept saying he'd "have to know more" about each incident, but stuck to his opinion that Clara Harris was law-abiding.

Clara Harris, who testified two days last week on the death of her orthodontist husband, was expected to take the stand again this morning for redirect examination by defense attorney George Parnham. But so far she has not returned.

Harris, 45, had been subjected to fiery cross-examination by prosecutor Mia Magness, who repeatedly asked, "You got what you wanted, didn't you?"

Harris last week recounted the evening she and her stepdaughter caught her husband, David Harris, with his receptionist and lover Gail Bridges at a suburban hotel last summer. The defendant wept Friday as she told jurors she was aiming at Bridges' luxury sport-utility vehicle and did not mean to kill her husband.

"You used what you had available, didn't you?" Magness asked Harris of her attempts to keep her husband from his lover. "You tried to separate him from her with your car?"

"No," she responded. "You've got it all wrong."

The dentist claimed she accidentally struck her husband with her luxury sedan on July 24 in the hotel parking lot. But Magness contends the defendant intentionally killed her husband, striking him "again and again and again."

Clara Harris told jurors she didn't remember running over her 44-year-old husband and had only wanted to damage Bridges' black Lincoln Navigator. But under cross-examination, Magness suggested to jurors that Clara Harris told a different story to police the morning after her husband died.

"It's written (in the police report) that you wanted to hurt him and you got what you wanted, didn't you?" Magness asked.

"That's a fair statement," said Clara Harris, who pointed out she only wanted to emotionally injure her husband.

The defendant and her defense attorneys repeatedly asked the court Friday to play for jurors a tape recorded statement she made to police the morning after her husband's death. Magness said playing the statement would be premature and said only the state can enter it as evidence.

State District Judge Carol Davies said she would rule on Monday whether the tapes should be played for jurors.

"I would love for you to listen to the tapes and see how incoherent they are," Clara Harris told Magness of her statement given to police at 5 a.m. on July 25. "I wanted to talk to someone and make sense of what happened."

Under cross-examination, Clara Harris appeared to wither only once Friday when repeatedly questioned about her memory of her husband's death.

"I don't remember, Ms. Mia. I honestly don't remember," Clara Harris said as she broke into tears. "I wish there was a way for you to get this out of my mind so you would know. I wish you could help me."

Harris recalled for jurors how she felt when she saw her husband emerge from one of the hotel's elevators with a "Mona Lisa" smile as he held Bridges' hand. After a brawl in the hotel lobby with Bridges, Clara Harris said she was escorted to her car.

"I wanted to destroy her car," Harris testified of Bridges' Navigator. "I was so hurt."

Harris saw three figures near the vehicle. Two dodged right, she said, but her husband moved left, toward her approaching Mercedes.

"I saw some surprised eyes," Clara Harris said.

She veered around the Navigator toward a grassy median within the hotel parking lot when, she says, things got fuzzy.

"I think I closed my eyes. After that, I didn't know who was driving," Clara Harris said, often using hand motions to punctuate her words. "Everything seemed like a dream."

Clara Harris said she snapped out of it when her stepdaughter, 16-year-old Lindsey Harris, was screaming for her to stop. That's when she got out and saw her husband lying on the pavement.

"I saw David and I couldn't understand what he was doing there," she said. "I had just seen him running and I didn't know how he got there."

Magness, who said Clara Harris set out to compete with Bridges for her husband's affections, asked the dentist if her husband had the right to choose someone else. Clara Harris said she and her husband of 10 years had a commitment.

"But it was his option to choose not to be with you?" Magness said.

"It was his choice to be with me," Clara Harris responded, referring to her claim that her husband told her he planned to break off his affair with Bridges that night. "I was doing everything I could to save my marriage."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

[MeekOneGOP]

Stay tuned for the next episode of...'As the World Turns'

AP 2-7-2003
Defendant Clara Harris reacts as she
testifies about her husband's affair.

[Softballmom]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!! You've GOT to be kidding!

[Shermy]

That marriage was tired.

[Paul Atreides]

The new poster girl for NOW.

One can only dream that she inspires Hillary.

[ken5050]

She beats it.....

[Paul Atreides]

In that photo, she looks like one of the unending parade of moaning singers on American Idol.

[MeekOneGOP]

Incredible. To me, this guy, a psych. professor, is dancing around as much as Saddam Hussein...

His son, Gerald Harris Jr. -- a psychology professor at the University of Houston -- drew aggressive questioning from prosecutor Mia Magness on cross-examination after describing Clara Harris as "peaceful and law-abiding."

Magness ran through a litany of actions by Clara Harris leading up to the night of the murder, including trespassing at Bridges' home, vandalizing her car and then attacking Bridges in the lobby of the Nassau Bay Hilton Inn.

Gerald Harris Jr. kept saying he'd "have to know more" about each incident, but stuck to his opinion that Clara Harris was law-abiding.

[MeekOneGOP]

In that photo, she looks like one of the unending parade of moaning singers on American Idol.

A seed is planted? ( hint ! hint ! )...

[ken5050]

It's a Texas thing.....I predict that sometime during the trial, Clara will appear in court with a whole new "do"..sporting really BIG hair.........a strategy designed to make the jury speculat about her..to think about her as a human being....

[MeekOneGOP]

She beats it.....

Hmm? Those 9 women jurors will nail her, I bet. She may get the max (life I think)...

[SerpentDove]

""She beats it.....""

You mean she beats the rap? Not in Texas, my friend.

We don't put up with psychobabble crapola.

[isthisnickcool]

Hmm? Those 9 women jurors will nail her, I bet. She may get the max (life I think)...

You wanna bet that she gets the max? I'd suggest you not bet a lot.......

[SerpentDove]

Evidently you are not from Texas.


???

Believe it or not, justice is usually done here. It's very refreshing.

[isthisnickcool]

Evidently you are not from Texas.

Well, I sure am from Texas. Born and raised.

My prediction is that she is found guilty and gets probation.

[MeekOneGOP]

Hmm? Those 9 women jurors will nail her, I bet. She may get the max (life I think)...

You wanna bet that she gets the max? I'd suggest you not bet a lot.......

My rhetorical 'bet' was that she'll be found guilty. It's the punishment part I wouldn't 'bet' on...

[SerpentDove]

No way.

[and the horse you rode in on]

What kind of scum bucket do you have to be for your mother and father and brother to testify for your killer?

[Xenalyte]

Turns out Xena's Dad knows the elder Mr. Harris (Gerald Sr.), but can't dish any dirt. (I ask you, what good is THAT?)

[isthisnickcool]

What kind of scum bucket do you have to be for your mother and father and brother to testify for your killer?

Give the Freeper a cigar.

[and the horse you rode in on]

Hmm? Those 9 women jurors will nail her, I bet. She may get the max (life I think)...

Because she had the daughter in the car watching, she will be convicted and get 2 years. Otherwise she would walk.

It's a Texas Thang. Those wimmin will vote not guilty cause they know next year it could be them.