Westerfield's Fate In Hands Of Jury: VERDICT WATCH BEGINS in Van Dam Murder Case

CourtTV ^ | August 8, 2002 | CourtTV

[FresnoDA]

Jury's hands After two months of hearing evidence, jurors have begun deliberating the fate of David Westerfield, who is accused of kidnapping and killing 7-year-old Danielle van Dam

[Jrabbit]

John, I think Barb is one who lawyered up. I was also wondering if BVD and DW were "together" in his SUV that night, BVD would lie about it for sure. So would Barb. The only way Feldman could get that info in would be to call DW to the stand.

[Spunky]

Kinda explains her running away, sleeping in the boy's room, piling her bed with stuffed animals,

Not only did she pile her bed with stuffed animals she put the bean bag chair on top of the bed sometime that night.

STRANGE! VERY STRANGE!

Preliminary Hearing morning March 14, pg 534 2 Q DID ANYONE GO CHECK ON DANIELLE?3 A I STARTED CRACKING EGGS, I THINK I GOT TWO 4 CRACKED, AND THEN I REALIZED SHE HADN'T GONE UP TO 5 GET DANIELLE, SO I THOUGHT I WOULD DO IT MYSELF. 6 Q DID YOU?7 A YES. I WENT UP INTO HER ROOM. 8 Q CAN YOU REMEMBER IF HER DOOR WAS OPEN OR 9 CLOSED OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN?10 A IT WAS OPEN. 11 Q HOW OPEN?12 A ALL THE WAY OPEN. 13 Q AND AS YOU STAND IN THE DOORWAY TO HER 14 ROOM, WHAT ARE YOU ABLE TO SEE AS THE DOOR IS OPEN?15 A HER BED. 16 Q DESCRIBE THE BED FOR US, WOULD YOU?17 A HER BED HAD A LOT OF ITEMS ON IT. SHE HAD 18 PUT HER BEANBAG ON THERE. IT HAD A BIG DOG.19 Q THE STYLE OF THE BED IS WHAT I MEANT. 20 A OH, THE STYLE OF THE BED. IT'S A 21 FOUR-POSTER WHITE BED WITH A CLOTH SCREEN THAT HANGS 22 OVER IT.

[The Other Harry]

The reason the judge didn't allow the defense to pursue this line of questioning [regarding the purported diary entries] is because he had laid no foundation for it. The defense cannot use third party culpability as a defense or make accusations of specific persons without supporting evidence.

The problem here is Judge Mudd. He's the one -- so far, at least -- who has had the sole discretion to decide what qualifies as admissible evidence.

Based on what I've read about this case, Mudd pretty consistantly decides for the prosecution and against the defense.

So even if the rumored contents of the diary are all completely true, Mudd could well have ruled to exclude it. That and other things as well.

If the jury convicts, in time we'll likely get to hear more about all that. While DW molters away in a cell somewhere.

Mudd should be removed from the bench. Not tomorrow or the next day.

[Valpal1]

Personal Knowledge. I sell books and belong to a private forum for Independant Book Sellers.

JMO, I don't think the parent's are/were hiding anything except their moral drift and decay.

The world is smaller every year. Privacy is an illusion. The internet which is the pornographer's best friend will also be the user's undoing.

The Ashcroft Justice Dept. is putting a good deal more resources into pornography and obscenity investigation/prosecution than the Reno Justice Dept. It would be a good idea for producers and users to maintain a low profile for the next 8 years.

[Valpal1]

The journal was admissable evidence, check the discovery motions. Neither side chose to use it. FWIW, the rumors about it excite our imaginations, but the Defense and the Prosecution are actually in possession of the documents and know the TRUTH about them. No one used the journal, because it is extraneous and provides nothing to either side of the case.

Let's remember that DHP described the journal while he was in the home with praise and a positive description. It was only after he was asked to leave that he suddenly had these other revelations as to sinister content. His claims have since acquired urban legend status.

[Uni-Poster]

Damon went out on his grand search that day and he was wearing an orange safety vest. Was even a picture of him in the paper wearing it.

[Green]

Well, only time will tell if you are right or wrong.

[Green]

Claim check shows it was brought in to cleaners on 1/26.

That may be, but I thought there was testimony from the clerk that he dropped it off on the Saturday that he made 2 trips.

[Green]

Well I see now after catching up that the jacket was described as a sports jacket but what was found to have the DNA doesn't really look like a sports jacket to me. Interesting.

[Eva]

Simple-the media coverage. Why do you think that the jury asked to be sequestered?

[Green]

When did the jury asked to be sequestered? I thought Mudd said he questioned the jurors and they did not want to be sequestered. I heard Feldman asked several times to sequester the jury but I don't remember hearing that the jury requested this.

[alexandria]

Was the defense not given the opportunity to have their own DNA or forensic testing done on the evidence collected?

The DNA on the jacket and carpet were, I belive, cut out and then tested. So no the defense team would also not have access to the same evidence before modification and was not able to take the appropriate photographs.

[VRWC_minion]

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY RING ARRESTED
Associated Press .. breaking on the wire | August 9, 2002 | Connie Cass (AP)

Posted on 08/09/2002 11:59 AM Eastern by NYer

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Ten Americans and six foreigners were charged Friday with taking sexually explicit photographs of their own children or children in their care and sending them over the Internet to an international child pornography ring, the U.S. Customs Service said.

[VRWC_minion]

---Clip--

The Americans charged include: Lloyd Alan Emmerson of Fresno County, Calif.; Paul Whitmore and Brooke Rowland, San Diego County, Calif.; Tracy Reynolds, Texas; Leslie Peter Bowcut, Idaho; Michael David Harland, Florida; Harry Eldon Tschernetzki, Washington state; John Zill, South Carolina; Craig Davidson, Kansas. The identity of the tenth American was not immediately available.

-----clip----

Announcement after Westerfield trial went to Jury ? A coincidence ? Is the tenth Westerfield ? Is that the info that is as good as a confession ?

[VRWC_minion]

Link to CHILD PORNOGRAPHY RING ARRESTED

[Krodg]

Ten Americans and six foreigners were charged Friday with taking sexually explicit photographs of their own children or children in their care

Sorry, this doesn't fit Westerfield.

[rolling_stone]

old news try 2/15/02

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/2717378.htm

[VRWC_minion]

Not old news, new news on old story. Especially the holding of the 10th persons name. The names of the add'l people is new and the indictments were unsealed today. Follow my link. Curious also that the unsealing occured right after the jury took westerfield case. Probably a coincidence but worth watching

[KnutCase]

If Westerfield, wouldn't he have a lot more than 80 images of child porn on computer? I don't know much about computers, but it seems to me that someone on another thread sais you can get porn e-mailed to you at random? I don't use my e-mail so would not know. I'm still a novice at this internet stuff.

[CedarDave]

Latest thread here:

Deliberations Resume Friday, 8-9-02 In Trial Of David Westerfield (VERDICT WATCH CONTINUES!)