Judge Mudd Says Sequestering Of Jury Possible: Van Dam case has jurors facing more Mad-Dawgging!!

Union Trib ^ | July 30, 3002 | Alex Roth

[FresnoDA]

Judge says sequestering of jury possible

By Alex Roth
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

July 30, 2002

The judge in the David Westerfield trial rejected another defense request to sequester the jury but said he still considers it "a possible option."

Superior Court Judge William Mudd said he didn't think it was necessary at the moment but has asked the county to prepare "a back-up contingency plan" just in case.

Westerfield's lawyers have asked several times for jury sequestration, and they renewed their request yesterday. Lead defense lawyer Steven Feldman said he worried that the jury might be affected by the publicity in the Samantha Runnion kidnap-murder case in Orange County.

Feldman cited comments made by Samantha's mother about Alejandro Avila, the man charged with kidnapping and killing the 5-year-old girl. In an interview on CNN's "Larry King Live," Erin Runnion blamed her daughter's death on a jury that acquitted Avila of child molestation charges two years ago.

Feldman said he worried that jurors in the Westerfield case might hear about the interview and feel pressured to convict his client, who is charged with kidnapping and killing 7-year-old Danielle van Dam of Sabre Springs.

The judge said he would remind jurors about news coverage they should avoid. He also said he talked to them about sequestration last week after receiving reports that someone in the media followed some of the jurors to their cars and wrote down their license plates.

"They're a hearty group and they didn't appear to be intimidated by what occurred, and I continue to believe in their integrity," the judge said yesterday.

With the trial in recess for a day, lawyers spent yesterday discussing legal instructions to give to the jury before they begin deliberations. It seems likely that testimony will continue into next week.

Prosecutors are expected to finish their rebuttal evidence today, at which point the defense will put on evidence to rebut the prosecution's rebuttal. One possible defense witness probably won't be called until Monday, Feldman told the judge yesterday.

[Karson]

Who???

[the Deejay]

"convicted felons can't vote unless their rights have been restored or they are *democrats*.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[spectre]

Not just the Jury, think the whole LE Police Department. "Bad boys, bad boys, who ya gonna do, who ya gonna do, when they come for you..bad boys". Sing Brenda, sing!

sw

[mommya]

No - I don't know - I just wondered what kinds of things were felonies.

[dread78645]

REASONABLE DOUBT SWIRLING IN THEIR HEAD?

I've several theories about what is swirling in their heads if "REASONABLE DOUBT" wasn't there before ...

(Hint: the 'Tidy-bowl' man)

[mouser]

I find it interesting that those without a political agenda

the bugs on her body the dog that did not find DW's scent in VD home
the dog that did not find her scent in the motorhome
the dog that did not find evdence of a dead body in MH

ALL FIND HIM NOT GUILTY

[dread78645]

Best case scenario is a hung jury.

And you hear thunder before you see the lightning ?

up is down --war is peace. What color is the sky on your planet ?

[the Deejay]

The "silent witnesses" (dogs & insects) testify quite truthfully, don't ya think?

Now, if the blood drop in the RV had been quite "fresh" and/or her scent of being in there recently, the dog would have "hit", but he didn't. H U G E testimony right there, I'd say.

The infestation/non infestation of the insect activities, also, H U G E testimony.

Dogs & insects don't lie.

[the Deejay]

I wanna find out more about who the felon is that the judge wants to toss out the testimony of. The judge isn't too keen on BVD's (lying) testimony, either.

[John Jamieson]

Just about any damage to people or loss of over some dollar amount in most states.

[mommya]

I wonder if Goff took in this guy's lecture while they both participated in a seminar in Italy......google link

Notice some of the topics of Goff's lectures - TOD type stuff.

Dr. Carlo P. Campobasso

University of Bari

The relationship between ambient temperature and maggot mass temperature - The accumulated degree hours (ADH).

[John Jamieson]

The judge indicated that there was atleast one, DB is my best guess.

[gigi]

Hi deejay,
I said yesterday that I thought it was a mistake for dusek to call this guy, but for different reasons, I didn't think it was because he couldn't do the math. I just watched the clip of this testimony, goff's face looked like a tomato.

[hoosiermama]

Maybe that is why we haven't seen Barb! Is she a felon?

[John Jamieson]

I just ruined my keyboard again.

[John Jamieson]

It has to be somebody who did testify for Mudd to be preparing a jury instruction on it.

[dread78645]

your book is titled witness for the prosecution not witness for the defense...

Yep, the re-printing cost will be a major pain.

"A Fly Lie for the prosecution."

Amazon will not be pleased !

[Karson]

Why do you think it's DB?

[John Jamieson]

Just guessing..... he seemed like the type ... proffession .... nickname

[the Deejay]

Hi, gigi!!!

Well, Dusek is overtrying his case, I can tell ya that right now. Every time an attorney does that, they lose the case. It's just waaayyyy too obvious he's trying to debunk the defense experts & the jury can see this the same as we can.

Dusek should NOT have brought in these experts. (On the other hand, if he were to bring in another one or two, this would really be a slam dunk for Feldman.) LOL

It seems Dusek has forgotten Feldman is an expert in his own right, as an expert on TOD.