Judge's level of secrecy in proceedings raises questions from experts

San Diego Union Tribune ^ | 9/24/02 | Greg Moran

[Jaded]

I'm sure we'd have heard it if they did.

[Jaded]

Ah, yes, words of wisdom from the mouthpiece over there..... This is the same person who:

-Advertised that he wanted to be in court when they showed autopsy photos.

-Wrote Mudd an essay on why one of the jurors should be dismissed.

-Called or talked about calling Heather Mack's boss to try to get her fired.

-E-mailed either Dusek or Mudd about poster from a different forum. Has also suggested that this poster is an accomplice and he needs to be investigated. (Where do you think others got that idea? From his wisdom)

There are a couple of things about this that are odd.... Like DW is going to pour his heart out to LE. I think not.

Why would a sheriff's deputy share all this information with a whack job? Even risk violating the gag order?

At one time he posted a 3 part minute by minute scenario of what he believed happened.....

Oh and part of this contradicts what another person who claims to be on the inside has stated about the family. (too cryptic?)

Ya cain't ha' it both ways.

[Lauratealeaf]

What is with the W carved on the foreheads? What kind of whacky statement is that? Evidentally someone is willing to believe anything that confirms their own opinion. I am still wondering what really happened. There is no way that the police would not have taken Westerfield up on his offer to lead them to the body. So, that scenario just seems bogus to me.

[Jaded]

Woman admitted using with Danielle's parents

By Kristen Green
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

September 26, 2002

The flight attendant who was fired after testifying in David Westerfield's trial that she had smoked marijuana with Danielle van Dam's parents got her job back this week.

Denise Kemal was reinstated as a flight attendant on Southwest Airlines after appealing the company's decision to fire her through internal grievance procedures, a company spokeswoman said yesterday.

Southwest, which has a zero-tolerance drug policy, fired Kemal in June after she testified in the nationally televised murder trial.

Reached yesterday, Kemal said getting her job back feels great, but declined to comment further. When she was fired, Kemal said it had ruined her life.

"I've always wanted to fly," she said.

"She just wants to put this behind her," said Tom McDaniel, president of Transport Workers Union Local 556, which represented Kemal in the proceedings.

The agreement doesn't provide back pay for Kemal and requires she undergo regular drug testing. She will return to work immediately.

Westerfield was convicted in August of kidnapping and killing the 7-year-old girl, whose parents last saw her alive Feb. 1. The same jury recommended he be executed, and his sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 22.

Kemal's marijuana smoking "would have never come out but for what he did," said San Diego attorney Spencer Busby, the van Dams' lawyer. He wrote a letter to Southwest on her behalf.

"She fulfilled her civic duty," he said yesterday. "It would be inappropriate to penalize her for testifying truthfully."

Kemal took the witness stand June 10, saying she visited the van Dam home Feb. 1 and spent the evening partying with Brenda van Dam. They became friends through their husbands, who both worked at Qualcomm, and Kemal testified they swapped spouses in 2000. Kemal and her husband have since divorced.

Kemal testified she and her neighbor Barbara Easton accompanied van Dam to Dad's Cafe & Steakhouse in Poway two Fridays in a row, Jan. 25 and Feb. 1. Westerfield was also at the bar, and bought them drinks on both occasions.

The women were celebrating Kemal's move to Baltimore, where she had been transferred for work. She testified she took a few puffs of a marijuana cigarette both nights.

In a July interview, Kemal said she didn't regularly smoke marijuana and that she'd passed all random drug tests during her 31/2-year Southwest employment.

She was a good employee, she said, and the airline regularly received letters from passengers commending her. Kemal said she often played games with children on flights and walked up and down the aisle entertaining fidgety babies.

The company also has a grievance procedure that allowed her to appeal the decision within 10 days. The company was required to respond within 10 days of the appeal.

Kemal took her appeal another step, and flew to Houston to present her case Tuesday to a board composed of two union members and two Southwest officials. An agreement that allowed her to return to work was reached before the hearing.

============================================================ So, it just goes to show that it doesn't matter what you do so long as you don't get caught. Even if you do get caught if you whine enough you can still get your job back.

I wonder if this applies to the drunk pilots?

[pinz-n-needlez]

Good grief! Drunk pilots, stoned attendants, and little old ladies get their embroidery scissors confiscated!

[pinz-n-needlez]

After being strip searched!!!!!

[bvw]

Well that's "union mentality" too. Why a lot of union-boys in Jersey are for voting the Torch in -- they'd rather a felon in office than smeone honest who might presents a risk to their jobs.

[CW_Conservative]

The flight attendant who was fired after testifying in David Westerfield's trial that she had smoked marijuana with Danielle van Dam's parents got her job back this week.

I just hope that when it's Denise's turn to close and lock the passenger door that somebody, heck anybody takes the time to double-check that door.

[demsux]

I just hope that when it's Denise's turn to close and lock the passenger door that somebody, heck anybody takes the time to double-check that door.

nyuk, nyuk, nyuk

[pinz-n-needlez]

Makes you want to drive and risk facing the semi's instead of flying the friendly skies, doesn't it?

[dread78645]

Good grief! Drunk pilots, stoned attendants, and little old ladies get their embroidery scissors confiscated!

And don't forget to take away G.I. Joe's "rifle".
The bayonet mount, ya know --gotta be a terrorist !

[demsux]

I've had to fly a bit lately, and I am sick and tired of the lines AND the moronic screeners wanding me and checking my shoes as "swarthy looking" individuals pass right by.

I'm in St. Louis, and if my drive time is 5 - 6 hours or less, I drive...over 6 hours and I'll endure the hassle and fly.

Breaks down like this: 1 1/2 hour early to airport each way plus about an hour in the air = 4 +/- hours...I'll take my car and endure the additional 1/2 hour.

[pinz-n-needlez]

I bet the company is better in the car, too. :-)

Room for your legs, stop to use bathrooms when you want, food that's fit to eat all along the way.

Books on tape, music cd's and talk radio.

I'll drive almost anywhere.

[demsux]

You betcha, now if I could only figure out how to freep from the car...

[Jrabbit]

That is soooooo sweet of the Van-Damned lawyer to write a letter for Duh-knees! Payback for testimony regarding the open garage door?

[BARLF]

whine,cheese and merrywanna.

[Jrabbit]

LOL-on SW it's beer,peanuts,merrywanna

[UCANSEE2]

Hi John. Hope you and your family are doing well. Glad you are in good health again.

The judge originally was ready to allow the phone call into evidence. Dusek then argued that the phone call could have been a prank, etc. so the judge agreed to keep it out.
Since they didn't explain the results of the search warrant, we can only assume they found nothing. Where/who was the search warrant for? Don't know. If the phone call traced back to a pay phone, it would prove nothing either way. Caller could have been real, could have been a prank.

Anyway, Dusek's argument swayed the judge in his favor.

[Jaded]

Maybe it's me with the problem. Look around on other forums, they seem to see nothing wrong with what she did because, well she wasn't at work. I wonder if all of the passengers on 9/11 who were diverted would feel the same way about their flight attendants. I also wonder if so many feel that getting high, against company policy, is okay would feel the same way if it were, say a pilot? Would it then be okay for doctors and nurses, semi-truck drivers, people who operate the chemical plants scattered through out the states?

Sorry, rant off.