Jurors in the Don Blankenship criminal cast this morning heard a recording of Blankenship instructing the man who ran the Upper Big Branch Mine on how he should hold the telephone.
Chris Blanchard, the president of Massey’s Performance Coal Company subsidiary, testified that the call was typical of a level of detail Blankenship focused on as Massey’s chief executive.

In another in a series of calls played for jurors, Blankenship twice in a 15-minute discussion scolded Blanchard for holding the phone under his chin instead of in front of his mouth.

“You reckon when you’re talking to your big boy at the mines, that they can’t hear you any better than I could, and maybe they’re afraid to tell you they can’t hear you and that’s the reason they don’t do what you tell them,” Blankenship told Blanchard in the call.

The recording was among several that U.S. District Judge Irene Berger ruled this morning that prosecutors could play for jurors.

Defense lawyers had previously filed a motion to block the additional calls and Berger held a brief – but publicly unannounced – hearing on this issue this morning before the scheduled start time for the day’s trial proceedings.

UPDATE: The following is from Joel Ebert, who is covering the Don Blankenship trial with Ken Ward Jr.

The aforementioned call was previously written about on this blog and in the Gazette-Mail. There’s another blog post on the subject here.

When the government played two audio tapes this morning jurors could be seen leaning forward while listening.

During the following excerpt one female juror could be seen smiling:

Blankenship: You reckon when you’re talking to your people at the mines that they can’t hear you any better than I could and maybe they’re afraid to tell you they can’t hear you and that’s the reason they don’t do what you tell ’em?”

Blanchard: Sir, I, that’s possible.

Blankenship: Hmm.

Blanchard: It would be bad, but it’s possible.

Blankenship: My guess is you hold the phone under your chin instead of in front of your mouth.

Blanchard: I was, sir.

Blankenship: Okay. Bad habit.

To read a portion of the transcript in the aforementioned audiotape, click here and see Exhibit A.