Your comments regarding Mr. Dunne and the Skakel trial are inaccurate and seemingly biased. For the people closely involved and on the scene have much different memories. Mr. Skakel in in the right place and maybe paying the price for a family out of control.

I disagreed with the politics of Ted Kennedy and his family, but certainly show respect to same, by not impugning the Senator's character upon his passing. You however, show your lack of character by calling names like a school house brat, upon Mr Dunne's passing.

Bill Simms
Everett WA

Could you provide specifics to back up your charge of "unethical hounding"? The man (Skakel) was charged by a prosecutor and convicted by a jury? Were they unethical as well? Were their decisions unmoored from the facts of the case? Bobby Kennedy, Jr. is Skakel's cousin -- perhaps his is a biased view. You write "fair accounts" suggest Skakel did not commit the crime. Citations? (Other than to his cousin's piece.)

Wow, this is a pretty disrepectful post title for someone who has just died. Talk about "irresponsible journalism".

Dunne had a reputation for being very pro-prosecution, because of his own daughter's murderer going free after only serving 3 months.

He may have not been a great journalist, but nobody's family deserves to see a headline (blog headline yes, but still on a reputable newspaper's site) describing their loved one as "sleazy" the day after losing them. Shame on you.

I agree, this is so bazaar that Dunne and Furman were believed over physical evidence. Goes to show you how powerful gossip is in the American legal system.

Skakel was convicted by a jury of his peers and the prosecutor used testimony based on eye-witness accounts. Michael Skakel admitted his crime to others in two well documented incidents. What Mr. Dunne provided was awareness of the case and the push to arrest and convict the guilty party. Mr. Dunne provided a window in to a privileged world, of which we knew after a brief glimpse was not meant for People like us, thank goodness..

Ronnie, you must have been at a differenct trial. There were no eye witness to the murder of Martha Moxley, God rest her soul.

You might want to research the relationship between Michael Kennedy and Michael Skakel a little bit before you put all the blame on Dominick Dunne.

I find it funny Robert Kennedy Jr. was so adamant in his defense of Michael Skakel. Maybe he should have checked with some of his other family members.

The only thing "sleazy" is this article. How disrespectful. The man has passed on, let him rest in peace or get a job for the National Enquirer if you want to slam the deceased with old news.
PS Skakel was found guilty by a jury not Mr Dunne.

You trying to get an invite to Hyannisport?

Pathetic.

It is surprising for someone with your credentials to pen such an inaccurate and disrespectful headline followed by an equally inaccurate and biased account of the events connected with the Moxley murder. Are you suggesting the "serious investigations of reporters" are more important than the police report, a judge and jury? Pathetic.
I'm sure you don't want anyone to head your epitaph with The Scumbag Jay Hancock."

What a vile, sleezy, cheap article. Does the author have no human decency?

Jay, your ignorance of the topic at hand (Dunne) is showing, yet again.

Dunne referred to himself in this manner: "The reason I can write a$$holes so well," he says, looking right into the camera, "is that I used to be an a$$hole."

Dominick lived a very colorful life as well, but he acknolwedged his shortcomings on more than one occasion. Granted, he will never be described as humble, but he gave his writing and his opinions to the best of his abilities.

And for as much as I like some members of the Kennedy family, there are other members who are entitled to their opinion, such as Bobby Jr.; but his opinion is just that--and nothing more, just like your opinion of Dunne.

J. Brown said:

"The only thing "sleazy" is this article. How disrespectful. The man has passed on, let him rest in peace..."

Newsflash: he's DEAD, not "resting".

Of course he's at peace.

Sheesh.

I am apalled that someone withyour journalistic reputation would so blatently undermind Dominick Dunne's reputation AFTER he died.

Have you no decency?

What's this post doing in a blog ostensibly about business and economics? Kind of like when Mike Lupica writes about the politics of health care in his sports column.

Sounds to me like ol' Jay has been awaiting Mr. Dunnes passing with some relish!
Come clean, Hancock, Why the bone to pick? I find it hard to believe that this is merely in response to the supposed heresy committed against the Kennedy clan.

In closing,
You, sir, are a scumbag.

In April 1997, the Boston Globe reported that Michael Kennedy had an affair with his children's 16 year old babysitter. It soon became known that the person who confirmed the story to the Globe was Michael Skakel.

It was a very bad time for the story to break since Micheal Kennedy's brother Joe was thinking of running for governor and Michael Kennedy would have been his campaign manager.

In an effort to save the campaign, Kennedy "sources" started a whisper campign against Skakel saying that he had been a troubled kid and was a murder suspect in Connecticut.

Before this, Dunne only wrote about the Skakel family. Thomas Skakel was also a suspect. It is only after 1997, that Michael became the focus of the investigation.

So which is the "sleazy" part? A father of a murder victim trying to find justice for another parent or ratting out your cousin to cover up sleeping with the babysitter?

Sleazy was not Dominic Dunne - sleazy was the Skakel family and hiding the evidence of the son using his mother's initialled golf club as his weapon of choice....Now that Dunne is gone who is going to really tell the truth about the Kennedys and Marilyn Monroe's death, and who knows what else....if you think we have forgotton her and other things, you are very wrong. Ted's death just reminds us of what power can do and has done....we live here, we remember it all very clearly.

Well, I suppose if Robert Kennedy, JR. said it it must be so. Why would he have a dog in the fight?

I have repeatedly been asked to comment about Dominick Dunne, having known the man for 15 years, and so I shall.

I met Dominick in 1994, at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse, during our coverage of the OJ Simpson murder trial. He, of course, presumed Simpson guilty, from the start. He made no secret of that fact. On many days, after hearing Dominick’s, TV commentary or reading his well-written pieces, I wondered if we had been sitting in the same courtroom. On occasion, I would put that very question to Dominick, with good humor; but he had none. (I know people said Dominick had a good sense of humor, but I never once saw it. We came from very different worlds and I Dominick never seemed quite sure what to make of me.)

And so it continued, over the many years of crime and justice coverage. The Menendez Brothers, Phil Spector, Gary Condit, Robert Blake, the Clinton impeachment. And of course there was OJ, again. And again. And again.

One particularly nasty exchange came during my coverage of the Skakel case on Court TV. I was defending the presumption of innocence and remarked on my show, Best Defense, that it would be difficult to find jurors who had not read about the case given all the books and articles written, over the years, by people like Mark Fuhrman and, yes, Dominick Dunne. Dominick fired off an angry e-mail to me insisting that he not be named on my show. I replied that he was neither my producer nor my father and that he had no right to speak to me as if he were either. I got my wish. From that day forward he did not speak to me -- at all.

Which is unfortunate, because I was never able to ask him why he harbored such hatred for the Kennedys. I agree with Jay; Dominick's hounding of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel can be called unethical.

The objective reporting suggests Skakel didn't commit the crime. Yet, Jay is correct, Dominick was the the driving force behind Skakel's prosecution, with his relentless charges that Kennedys were keeping the case under wraps.

In 2005 I was assigned, as Law & Justice Correspondent for ABC News, to the Skakel case. Our unit conducted serious investigations into allegations police had covered up to sastified the Kennedys, as charged by Dominick. We could find nothing to substantiate his allegations.

I returned to Court TV, later that year and tangled with Dominick most recently during the Spector case. One exchange became so heated we landed on Page Six.

In the end, I don’t think Dominick ever really understood where I was coming from. I am, first and foremost, an attorney, supremely committed to the presumption of innocence and the Constitution.

But as we all know, Dominick started his career in earnest in 1982, after the murder of his beloved daughter Dominique, who at the time was starring in the movie "Poltergeist." She had been strangled by her boyfriend and died a few days later.

The night before the trial Dominick was at dinner, seated next to Tina Brown, the new editor of Vanity Fair. Tina, or so the story goes, urged Dunne to keep a diary of the trial, which he did. It formed the basis of his first magazine article, a break would launch him into the realm of celebrity.

But it also formed the basis for a style of celebrity crime reporting that has brought us Nancy Grace and the presumption of guilt that is undermining our criminal justice system.

There is a reason why no judge would allow the father a murder victim to sit on a jury in a criminal case.
As Dominick himself said, "If you go through what I went through, losing my daughter, you have strong, strong feelings of revenge." Which is entirely honest and understandable. It also explains the prism through which he worked and wrote, the prism through which he reported the facts of every case he covered.

Dominick Dunne was a clever writer whose early years as a Hollywood producer gave him an entertaining turn of phrase. In his novel "People Like Us," the protagonist shoots the man convicted of killing his daughter. In real life, Dominick used his pen to exorcise that demon over and over again.

But our criminal justice system is not supposed to be about vengeance. And it's not supposed to be about entertainment. It is about truth and ultimately justice.

I find it hard to believe that a "financial columnist" writes about Dunne.
Does that mean that someone is PAYING you to write about Dunne, now that he can't defend himself? Maybe you should write about CPA's instead, you might know a little more about what they do, right?
Or do you have a past that needs to be uncovered?

You're a lefty low life. You and your rag are gutless and worthless.

Michael Skakel admitted to the murder in front of sveral witnesses at a rehab for his drug and alcohol problem. He was convicted of the murder and sentenced for it. Mr .

Ted Kennedy's image cost Mary Jo Kopechne her life. She was alive for at least two hours based o nthe foresnsic evidence. Ted Kennedy was a drunk, a philanderer, and a hugely obese man at the end of his life. Though he did give us some laughs when caught in flagrante dilecto while drunk and fornicating on the carpet at a trendy D.C. eatery. My thoughts at the time was that he is probably a serial killer...drowned MJK and crushed his "lover" under his immense weight. Ted Kennedy was a study in excess and how not to conduct oneself in public. Who was a bigger drunk....Foster Brooks or Ted?

Well, this is one way to drive traffic to you blog!!

RIP DD who will now stand up for the 'little people' ? thank god oj & spector are in jail far too long the rich & famous have got away with too much. its psycho tested rich & beautiful get lighter jury sentences or higher pay 'the halo effect' - RIP martha & Mary jo, too much money too little morals...

Mr. Hancock has no business using the financial blog he writes for the Baltimore Sun to sully the reputation of Dominick Dunne, Hancock's foolish comments insult not only Mr. Dunne's family and fans, but also the witnesses and jury that convicted Michael Skakel. Stick to your field of expertise, if in fact you have one.

Until now I had no idea you were a Kennedy shill. How much $$$ did it take to reel you in?

Jami, Well said!

I don't normally write to columnists, and I use that term loosely in your case, but your insulting commentary on a much-loved author and man-about-town reveals your own sleaze factor. The idea of writing in derogatory terms about someone after he's dead is as about as low as one can go.

I never heard of you, Jay Hancock, or you, Jami Floyd. Now I know why. You haven't been able to rise above the muck of the media. I'm guessing you never made your feelings known about DD until you thought it was good and safe. I think your blood runs yellow and you can only hope to be 1/10 of what he was in exposing the guilty, when so many run free these days because of vast resources.

We mourn the passing of a life well-lived. Dominick Dunne 1925 - 2009

Did you have this article waiting in the wings to release after the gentleman's death because you are incorrect or a coward? Or did your concern for this "miscarriage of justice " not extend to a debate with the living?

Jay Hancock you have zero class. Go worship at the altar of Kennedy, but don't let any of them give you a ride home because you may end up on your own in the water.

Jay, I enjoy your blog a great deal but must disagree with you on this one. The Kennedy Jr. article is certainly biased (has he written anything about Mary Jo?). Do you seriously think a jury would give any weight to the writtings of a Vanity Fair columnist, while also hearing from some of the most expensive and effictive defense attorneys that great wealth can buy?
The only thing Dunne accomplished was shaming the police into a proper investigation.

I find it amazing that you cite Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s as a piece of "compelling journalism". The article was a biased piece of propaganda, at best.

Review the trial transcripts. Review the numerous appellate motions. Review the transcripts of the hearing before the Connecticut State Supreme Court. And review 'The Sutton Report' which even though it was not allowed to be entered into evidence at trial, is very compelling.

No amount of schilling by Skakel's cousin (or anyone else) will ever change the fact that Michael Skakel was well represented. Michael Skakel received a fair trial. And Michael Skakel was found guilty by a jury of his peers.

And for Jami Floyd, Dominick was not "the driving force" behind Skakel's prosecution. I'd say Donald Brown retiring was one of many events which helped let the wheels of justice begin turning once again with respect to the murder of Martha Moxley.

I have never heard of Jay Hancock, and can't imagine what would prompt him to write such a cowardly diatribe, with Nick barely cold. If he had such an opinion, it is too bad he wasn't man enough to express it to Dominick's face when he was alive.

The problems between DD and the Kennedys go way back, are very complicated, and it sounds like most people don't have it clue. The whole story will come out some day.

Wonder how much Hancock was paid for writing this inaccurate blog entry and by whom?

Also wonder when Jami Floyd true to her indictment of the "justice system as entertainment" will be leaving her entertainment anchor job at the Court TV program Best Defense?

Thanks to sleazy Hancock for redefining the word despicable.

I find it interesting that in the new world of journalism-as-food-fight commentators can remain anonymous with their mud slinging while the professional reporter of many years experience stands fully exposed to whatever peculiar venom the blog critics wish to spew. Seems like an unfair and illogical situation to me. (Didn't letters to the editor require a signature, even if it was witheld from publication?) Oh, I forgot, that was back in the day when journalism was understood as a respected profession, not free therapy for any idiot with an internet connection. Personally, I trust Jay Hancock's experience and professionalism and am glad there is still a professional journalist working at the Sun. My assessment of his particular perspective on any situation is something I can consider in the light of his impressive and lengthy career of fearless reportage. Walk a mile in a professional journalist's shoes, bloggers.

Will someone please explain to me why Jami Floyd is unable to write/talk without mentioning Nancy Grace.

OJ and his jury must feel pretty good with your bloggers comments.The jury is always right,reguardless of the physical evidence!

I for one will miss the gripping stories by Dominick Dunne. It seems to me he tried to present facts. And, he certainly did his research. He was entirely entertaining and human -- not trying to be a judge and jury -- but to present facts that really were not really disputable as I recall. Didn't Skakel admit his crime to a roommate years ago, and wasn't that testimony recorded before the roommate passed away. I liked Dunne and I miss his brilliant articles.

My thought is this: Jay Hancock reigns as the sleaze king. Obviously Hancock likes to kiss some Kennedy butt. Figures.

What a jerk.

Every piece of evidence in the Skakel Trial points to Michael Skakel as the murderer of Martha Moxley. Dominic Dunne did justice a favor by not letting the Skakels get away with the cover up.

Jay Hancock, did you even read the report by the private ingestion firm that the SKAKEL'S HIRED THEMSELVES which clearly places the crime in the hands of either Tommy or Michael Skakel?

Bobby Kennedy Jr's drivel in the Atlantic Monthly was a self-serving piece whose so-called "evidence" was already refuted in court. Kennedy even sunk lower when he tried to foist responsibility for the crime off on the Skakel's tutor, who was cleared of any involvement and who clearly suffered at the hands of the Kennedys, Skakels, and Greenwich police who continually hounded him.

That Bobby Kenndy jr would try to frame an innocent man cleared by the courts is an insult to justice. Thank God for Dominic Dunne. Justice will miss him. The rich will not.

He who is without sin, cast the first stone. Bottom line, all are sinners and no one gets out alive. So forgiveness and humility are the only things we have to get us through life which is extremely messy.