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."

[juzcuz]

Hi --I'm trying to keep up with you guy's--

I tried to read your posts late last night... And some of you were talking about the 911 call and how Brenda went into a description of someone that was 6'ft, green eyed and brown hair. I'd never heard that before.. It was shocking to my ears.

I found another inconsistancy in the Damon testimony that somehow might fit.----
Damon states: "After took out the garbage, at that point, we went upstairs, but Brenda and I went back upstairs for a little while."

In this statement Damon is recounting the events that happened Sat. morning, after Brenda's shower, after he fixed tostems for the boys. Before they went to look for Danielle.

Brenda mentions nothing of this incident in any of her testimony's

Now you guys were discussing, last night, the possibility that Brenda and Damon scripted the 911 call. Could they have been planning upstairs together that morning????? I don't know, but -------it's possible----

[BARLF]

I haven't read thru all the posts yet so this may have been answered in more detail. Halfman retired from the San Diego Police Dept. after she was injured. She worked mainly in patrol for 10 years.

This is from an article NCTimes, 2/17/02. Not much but all I have.

[RnMomof7]

The problem is cleaning up the mess after the party...

[the Deejay]

The thing that strikes me about that 911 call, is how very "calm & collected" Brenda sounded. I've heard plenty of 911 calls played in court and never heard anyone sound so calm & collected. It was almost like, "scripted." The only thing she stumbled on was the height of Danielle.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Hehehehehe. Whatever you do Denise, don't use bleach.

[BARLF]

Thanks for the ping,Cyn. I think at one of these dog sniffings the dog did make a hit on the outside basement door. Don't know which dog or the date on which this hit occured. Would have to go searching and I am to tired now..:(

[cyncooper]

Kim, BVD denied dancing with DW.

[the-gooroo]

You betcha! I doubt they got any sleep at all. Damon claims he got up early and played more video games with the boys and gave them pop tarts. Brenda testified she got up right after Damon, took a shower and then went down and started making breakfast for the family. The "perfect mother" act if you ask me. A little too perfect for someone who partied till 3am.

[alexandria]

The height thing was very telling in the 911 call. Although when she said blond hair, she has green eyes, then six feet tall, I didn't think of DW I imedately thought, "why is she describing her husband?".
I don't know about anyone else but I would have been screaming at my husband, "go and look for her, ask everyone if they've seen her, don't just stand there dosomething!" Why the heck was he standing there? Coaching?

[juzcuz]

The only thing that bothers me about their pre-writing a 911 call---

Is that they were not armed with even a basic description of their child. You know, height, weight, etc. My childs description is the first thing that I would want to focus on. But then, I don't think like them... I've tried to put myself in their shoes, and their shoes-- well, they just ain't fittin--

[the Deejay]

"why is she describing her husband?"."

Really. One could take that another way, she was describing her "suspect." LOL!

How could anyone make a 'slip' of the height & full description of their child?

[the Deejay]

You're right. Most of us don't *think* like that group. As far as the description of one's child, that should be very easy under any circumstance. After all, BVD only had 3. She isn't the "Old Woman In The Shoe."

[EllaMinnow]

Right.
BVD denied dancing with DW.
DW denied dancing with BVD.
Cherokee Young said BVD did not dance with DW.
Glennie Naslund said BVD did not dance with DW.

Cherokee's mother -poor thing- testified that they were "dirty dancing."

I sense desperation here, and it's coming from Feldman. His first 2 witnesses wouldn't say what he wanted them to, so he kept putting them on until one said the music-to-Feldman's-ears "dirty dancing."

[the Deejay]

"I sense desperation here, and it's coming from Feldman."

No. He knew exactly what each & every witness was going to testify to & about long before they came into that courtroom. So did the prosecution.

[alexandria]

I think I'll caption this "I'M A LITTLE TEAPOT!"

Or maybe... "Coffee, Tea, or me?"

[juzcuz]

See what get's me about that statement---

He says: ...."We went upstairs, but Brenda and I went upstairs for a little while."

It begs the question and I suprized Feldman didn't ask it-- Well, Why did you go upstairs? How long were you
both there?

[Freedom2specul8]

I have to agree. I'm not sure I would have even used his name at all. He, the defendant...or as a last resort..mr westerfied.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

LOL !!!

[cyncooper]

Cherokee's mother -poor thing- testified that they were "dirty dancing."

Maybe she'd had a couple of highballs in memory of Dear Old Dad before arriving at the bar and it affected her perception?

[EllaMinnow]

Did you catch Glennie's testimony under cross that Westie was wearing a black leather jacket the whole time he was at Dad's?

Wonder where it is???