Testimony costs flight attendant her job

SignOnSanDiego ^ | July 12, 2002 | Kristen Green

[MizSterious]

Testimony costs flight attendant her job

Airline fires witness for admitting pot use

By Kristen Green
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

July 12, 2002

Denise Kemal was fired June 28, more than two weeks after her nationally televised testimony, because the company has a zero-tolerance drug policy.

Losing her job has ruined her life, Kemal said yesterday. "I've always wanted to fly," she said. "It took me years to get my job."

She said she is appealing the dismissal because smoking marijuana "wasn't an everyday thing." While she waits for an answer, Kemal, 28 and recently divorced, watches the Westerfield trial from the couch of her new Florida apartment.

Kemal was called to the witness stand by the prosecution June 10. She was at the van Dam home Feb. 1, the night 7-year-old Danielle van Dam was last seen, and spent the evening with Brenda van Dam, the girl's mother.

The two had become friendly through their husbands, who both work at Qualcomm. A spokeswoman for Southwest confirmed that Kemal had been fired, but declined to elaborate. She said company policy states that the "illegal use of drugs, narcotics or controlled substances off duty and off company premises is not acceptable and may result in termination because it can affect on-the-job performance and the confidence of our customers in the company's ability to meet its responsibilities."

Kemal said she was just answering questions posed to her during Westerfield's trial because "I want to make sure he gets convicted."

"Because of him, it's just ruined everyone's lives," she said.

Kemal testified that she went out with her Tierrasanta neighbor Barbara Easton and Brenda van Dam to Dad's Cafe & Steakhouse in Poway two Fridays in a row, Jan. 25 and Feb. 1. They were celebrating Kemal's upcoming move to Baltimore, where she had been transferred for work.

The second night out, Feb. 1, she was introduced to Westerfield, whom she has described as "creepy." Westerfield is charged with kidnapping and murdering Danielle. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death.

Kemal said the three women first celebrated her move Jan. 25. Kemal and Easton, who lived in the same apartment complex, shared a bottle of wine before driving to the van Dams, Kemal testified. She said she smoked some marijuana in the van Dams' garage before they left for the bar.

The next week, the three women decided to spend that Friday night partying at Dad's again after Damon van Dam canceled plans to go out of town and agreed to stay home with the couple's three children.

On Feb. 1, they smoked pot in the garage a second time, Kemal testified, and she and Easton shared a beer. Later in the evening, they partied at Dad's, where they ran into Westerfield. At one point in the night, they went to van Dam's sport utility vehicle to smoke marijuana again.

Kemal said her supervisors learned that she had smoked pot because customers mailed newspaper articles about her testimony.

She had never had problems at Southwest before the trial, she said. In fact, she regularly received letters of commendation from airline passengers since she was hired in November 1998.

Once, a Texas couple she had met on a flight sent a box of candy to her home. Kemal, in turn, shipped them a set of candles for their living room.

Kemal said that even after Sept. 11, she didn't have any reservations about flying.

"I did it because it's my job, and I love my job," she said. "I get to travel and meet different people. I like to serve the public."

[sbnsd]

Maybe HAZMAT DAVE was carrying a plastic sheet to wrap Danielle in or he owns a big @$$ed PLASTI-WRAP machine ?

I've seen this picture of HAZMAT DAVE at least a dozen times, and it makes me laugh every single time!

[small_l_libertarian]

Must have been some mighty strong winds, considering that they also apparently blew away DAW's scent INSIDE the VD house and Danielle's scent INSIDE the MH. Come to think of it, the wind must have blown Danielle's scent out of DAW's house, too, since the dog didn't alert, but everyone says she was there that week. Hmmmm... Maybe Poway is the REAL Windy City.

[Rheo]

Not to mention this female neighbor who had to swing around the MH on 2/1 as it was parked next to his house.

Did I miss her testimony??

[the Deejay]

Hell's bells! Who can believe a damn word a vdam says anyway? And that goes for the rest of their group.

[hoosiermama]

Were the affidavits listed behind the second already open or were they the ones we've been looking for?

[Rheo]

These are the ones we were looking for....it explains why they were issued the search warrant..(or I hadn't seen the explanation before)

[the Deejay]

"I've seen this picture of HAZMAT DAVE at least a dozen times, and it makes me laugh every single time!"

LOL!! And just WHERE is that rig he must have been wearing that night??? After all, the police raided his house, RV, SUV......You name it, they raided it! And no Ninja rig was found!

[FresnoDA]

Song alert...no diet coke alert however...SOMBER VERSION...5,4,3,2,1

[FresnoDA]

HOTEL CALIFORNIA
The Eagles

ON THE ROAD TO DEHASA!!!
(Parody by FDA)

On a south desert highway
Winter wind in his hair
Faint taste of tequila
Rising up in my throat
Up ahead where the road bends
He rode a mountain bike, twice
He quickly down shift and apply the brakes
He can't get caught, and he won't!

The deed is done in a minute...
There is remorse, but not much...
Circumstances simply got out of hand...
Life's no more Heaven it's Hell
Then she lit up a "doobie"
And she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor
He heard them whisper and say

He's been at the Road, down near Dehasa...
Such a lonely place
Such a lonely place (background)
For a resting place......
Frightening place, on the road down near Dehasa....
At this time of year
At this time of year (background)
Creepy crawlers there...
Creepy crawlers there...

Her mind focused on swinging....
She drives an Ex-pe-di-tion....
She goes to lots of sleazy, sleazy clubs..
By invitation alone....
Sometimes they meet in the courtyard
Some, times they sweat
Some swing to remember
Most swing to forget
They had to call Dianne Halfman
Please help them deny
She said:
We must entangle someone else, but simply don't have the time.....
And many net voices saying..... from far, far away
Posting data in the middle of the night....
Nearly all will say......

They've been at the Road, down near Dehasa...
Such a lonely place
Such a lonely place (background)
For a resting place......
Horrible things, on the road down near Dehasa....
From their pack of lies....
From their pack of lies (background)
Building alibis

Strange knobs on the garage door....
Different grades of hash....
She said
We are all participants here
Of our own desires
And in the master's chambers
Barb sat on the sheets....
She claimed their act was trivial then...
But can't de-ny the heat.....

Last thing she remembers
Child runs for the door
Vainly searching for safety....
Relax said the dark one....
We EXIST to be pleased.....
Collateral damage in the neighborhood...
Shift the blame down the street......

They drove to the Road, down near Dehasa... 
Such an evil place
Such an evil place (background)
For a resting place......

Horrible things, on the road down near Dehasa....
From their pack of lies....
From their pack of lies (background)
Crumbling alibis

Horrible things, on the road down near Dehasa....
From their pack of lies....
From their pack of lies (background)
Crumbling alibis

The End

 

[Rheo]

If I have confused you..sorry.

The two links that redlipstick posted are one in the same...the second link is info provided in the first.

[small_l_libertarian]

I just read that, too. WTF?!? Wonder if if was Mrs. Kravitz, just stirring up trouble.

[Rheo]

I don't know....but this neighbor apparently couldn't remember correctly from 2/1 to 2/2.....maybe it's blackouts??

[small_l_libertarian]

You mean that neighbor might be a raging alcoholic, too?

[hoosiermama]

WHo was it that wanted to be pinged when they were found?

[Rheo]

Everyone??

maybe krodg?

[hoosiermama]

Link to affidavits posted!

[calawah98]

Just heard on Fox News, DWs attorneys say they have direct links to Brenda

[GoRepGo]

browsing through the affidavits too -- came across an interesting morsel: BVD stated she remembered one of her friends kidding her about a mother saying, "you're such a mother." VD stated an UNKNOWN male in the bar overheard the friends statement, and said, "you're a mother?" VD replied, "yes, I have three kids." The UNKNOWN male said, you "you don't look like a mother," and laughed. VD stated she believed the male was using the statment as a pick up line.

Let's see....trolling for anyone to bring home that night...yep, would have to agree, definately not a mother in my book....and if the statement was used as a "pick-up" line, did the UNKNOWN male come home for the somber, carboard pizza party? has anyone testified to this conversation?

[Rheo]

This should be interesting.

Computer froze last night so couldn't respond...if you want interesting reading, read Dorie Savage's PH..then read her trial.

[Jaded]

For you, my little pretties......

**FREE HAZMAT DAVE**FREE HAZMAT DAVE**FREE HAZMAT DAVE**