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Westerfield Closings Set For Tuesday, 8-6-2002: More Revelations Continue "Out" Of Jurors Sight!
Court TV ^
| August 6, 2002
| Harriet Ryan
Posted on 08/06/2002 6:40:14 AM PDT by FresnoDA
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The defense for David Westerfield, left, opted not to call a last forensic witness, clearing the way for closing arguments Tuesday morning. |
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By Harriet Ryan Court TV SAN DIEGO After two months and 116 witnesses, jurors in the capital murder case of David Westerfield will hear closing arguments Tuesday. "We'll be ready to rock and roll tomorrow morning," Judge William Mudd told lawyers Monday. Defense attorneys for Westerfield, who is accused of kidnapping and killing his 7-year-old neighbor Danielle van Dam, had considered calling a forensic anthropologist as their final witness. After weekend discussions, however, they decided to rest their case, defense lawyer Steven Feldman told Mudd. The judge imposed no time limits on the arguments Feldman and prosecutor Jeff Dusek will make, and closings in the trial, which included 199 exhibits and weeks of complex forensic testimony, could stretch into a second day. At the hearing Monday, Feldman made yet another attempt to have the panel of six men and six women sequestered during deliberations. He cited front page articles about the case in the local paper as well as an article about swinging in San Diego magazine. "The land mines keep growing, Judge," he told Mudd. As he had before, the judge denied the request and said he trusted the jury to follow his instructions about avoiding media accounts of the case. Westerfield, 50, faces the death penalty if convicted of Danielle's slaying. The second-grader was abducted from her bedroom last February. Searchers found her naked body on the side of a road three and a half weeks later. Prosecutors claim Westerfield sexually assaulted and suffocated her, but the defense says forensic evidence indicates she was dumped after the defendant was under police surveillance. |
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To: FresnoDA
Insisting on a fair trial for any accused person is a good thing to do, regardless of some peoples' jump to conclusions. I've been reading many of your threads and haven't seen that type of article before. It ends up taking much away from your argument, IMO. Thanks for clarifying.
To: spectre
It's too late for sequestration. The bell has been rung and cannot be unrung. We just have to hope the jurors are smarter than some of the folks we meet on these boards and can see through the DA's spin.
Yes, I used to be on the fence, but that was before the dogs "testified" that she had never been inside that motorhome that fateful weekend, and before hearing the entomologists testify. Even the prosecution's own witnesses said she could not have been there before February 9th--that is, except for Dr. Dufus who said she was there January 15th. As far as I'm concerned, that disqualified him as any kind of expert.
To: bvw
Pretty accurate,
except it is where she published it, what she represents, and the obviously inflamitory element - it is not a statement that parents need to be held accountable but a blanket accusation that the existing culture in her target area is corrupt and worthy of overthrow.
I live here dude, I talk to the kids and their parents when they return from visits 'home', I plan to leave as soon as work ceases to be fun and I hope that is soon enough.
23
posted on
08/06/2002 6:58:27 AM PDT
by
norton
To: MizSterious
Paging RODNEY KING "Why cahnt weeze ahl juz git aloonnnggg"
VD thread is raucous, right from the get go....
Thread Survival Countdown Clock has begun.....
T-Minus 1 hour, and counting......59,58,57......
24
posted on
08/06/2002 6:58:34 AM PDT
by
FresnoDA
To: FresnoDA
bump for later
To: spectre
In order to get a fair trial we should think the murder of Danielle is kinda cool and deserving ? Is that your premise ?
To: FresnoDA
but Danielle had gotten a haircut just days before her disappearance, and the hair found was consistent with the length of her hair after it was cut Just because it was short doesn't mean it was placed after Danielle's haircut. It could have come out before the haircut. There is a variation in lengths.
27
posted on
08/06/2002 7:01:45 AM PDT
by
Kerensky
To: MizSterious
I saw that last night. It was almost a blue-print for the place to dump Danielle's body, like...wow.
Oh yeah, Faulkner should triple his fees for Dusek next time he gets called on a case. Or be unavailable.
Wonder how Feldman is gonna deal with the latest President Bush "land mine" they all woke up to this morning?
"Good Morning, Mr. Westerfield...boy, do we have some bad news for you.."...DW..."The President said 'what'?!!!
sw
28
posted on
08/06/2002 7:02:06 AM PDT
by
spectre
To: MizSterious
Seems "the bugman" was good enough for Dusek back then, when he worked for him--but not now?I understand your point but it may not be contradictory. Bugs provide the minimum time frames that the body is available not the maximum.
To: spectre
Back during the Manson trial, President Nixon made a careless remark that led to a screaming headline on the LA Times -
"MANSON GUILTY
NIXON SAYS!!!"
The defense requested a mistrial because of this headline, because even though the jury was sequestered, it had been visible at newsstands from the windows of the bus that the jurors rode to court.
A mistrial was not granted.
In today's remarks, President Bush didn't even mention Westerfield's name or the fact that there is a trial going on.
To: norton
Miraflores is absolutely nuts in her Jew-bashing though. That does not take away from her other points in the essay. Many people -- Catholics especially -- do come to Jew-bashing on moralistic grounds, especiallty related to the more liberal tolerance perceived among Jewish personalities for libertine sexual mores. This is incorrect, and as confused as bashing Catholics for tolerating mafia Dons and Irish mobsters, killers, gamblers and drug runners among them.
The Jewish standards for sexual morality are more stringent than the Catholic ones. However Jews are very very reluctant to harshly judge other Jews, for good reasons mostly and for appearantly bad reasons sometimes.
So there develops a real perception problem. But that is all it is. I am sorry that Miraslava has fallen into that trap.
31
posted on
08/06/2002 7:05:27 AM PDT
by
bvw
To: FresnoDA
Paging RODNEY KING "Why cahnt weeze ahl juz git aloonnnggg" Can't you spell? That should be 'jez'.
To: VRWC_minion
Which part of "fair trial" is confusing you, minion? Is it the trial part--you prefer to get right to the hanging--or is it the fair part--you prefer the jurors be told how to vote by people who know zip about this trial, which, by the way, includes our President, no matter how much we might admire him. Can you imagine him poring over transcripts of this trial while trying to handle the Afghanistan war, the upcoming Iraq war, and seeking some semblance of peace in Israel? The man knows nothing about this trial, and I wouldn't expect him to. He has no business tainting this jury. That portion of his speech could have and should have waited until the jury delivered its verdict.
To: norton
It is not a statement that parents need to be held accountable but a blanket accusation that the existing culture in her target area is corrupt and worthy of overthrow. Valid, valid. I missed that until you have pointed it out. Thanks.
34
posted on
08/06/2002 7:07:28 AM PDT
by
bvw
To: VRWC_minion
The absence of beetle larvae provided the maximum.
To: Kerensky
How often did she have her hair cut? Every six months?The hair cut length theory was debunked months ago when almost everyone but the most die hard DW hater admitted that a girl's head always contains hairs of many different lengths. If the length of hair had only been 2" I wonder if we would be concerned about it. It is just another minor fact that the DA is trying to use to make his mole hill appear as a mountain.
To: demsux
37
posted on
08/06/2002 7:09:14 AM PDT
by
Jaded
To: MizSterious
He has no business tainting this jury. That portion of his speech could have and should have waited until the jury delivered its verdict. I don't see how any Juror would be affected by saying the murder of Danielle was deplorable. If anyone already knows this its the juror's themselves.
To: FresnoDA; MizSterious
Ditto on DewPointDusek. Welcome back Miz!!
Big Bugs Don't Lie
To the tune of "Big Girls Don't Cry" - Four Seasons
Big bugs don't lie
Big bugs don't lie
Bi-ig bugs do-on't lie-yi-yi (they don't lie)
Bi-ig bugs do-on't lie-yi-yi (who said they don't lie?)
Du-u-sek said they lie-yi-yi (my oh my)
Du-u-sek said they lie (I wonder why)
(Silly boy) told bug man he just might be wrong
(Silly boy) hoped that he would go along
(Silly boy) then he said to Jeff's surprise
Big bugs don't lie
Bi-ig bugs do-on't lie-yi-yi (they don't lie)
Bi-ig bugs do-on't lie-yi-yi (yes sir, they don't lie?)
May-y-be truth is cru-u-u-el (truth is cruel)
Bay-y-be Jeff's a fool (He's such a fool)
(Silly Jeff) Shame on you, the jury said
(Silly Jeff) Shame on you, you lost your head
(Silly Jeff) Shame on you, Dave should not fry
Big bugs don't lie
Bi-ig bugs do-on't lie-yi-yi (they don't lie)
Bi-ig bugs do-on't lie-yi-yi (not just an alibi)
Big bugs don't lie
Big bugs don't lie
Big bugs don't lie
Big bugs don't lie
by Southflanknorthpawsis
39
posted on
08/06/2002 7:13:47 AM PDT
by
Jaded
To: Dave_in_Upland
The hair cut length theory was debunked months ago when I suppose the condition of the cut end could reveal something about how recent it was sheared. But without other samples it would be hard to construct a timetable.
40
posted on
08/06/2002 7:15:08 AM PDT
by
Kerensky
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