Posted on 07/12/2002 7:06:01 AM PDT by MizSterious
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."
Please correct this line in your song.
She does not live in Georgia. She lives in Florida ... got it?
Karson (Georgia resident)
I don't know what part of Florida because I didn't save the original transcripts that were posted on the internet that accidently included the sidebar discussions.
TO ALL: Did anybody save the first transcripts that were posted??
Not quite. Once you've answered a question, you should reply to any question that expands on the basic question.
This would not waive your 5th amendment rights to questions covering new ground.
'course you can refuse and eat baloney sandwiches for contempt if the judge thinks otherwise.
Hit, jerk, zziiiiinng --start reeling 'em !
I never realized though, the inconsistencies between Watkins' prelim. testimony and trial testimony.
From the prelim (Morn. March 12)...
MR. YOUNGFLESH FOUND AN ENVELOPE ON A 26 BOOKCASE THAT WAS STICKING UP BEHIND SOME BOOKS. 27 IT'S COMMON PRACTICE FOR PEOPLE TO PUT EVERYTHING 28 FROM COMPUTER PASSWORDS, MANUALS, THINGS THAT WE Page 251 1 FIND USEFUL IN OUR EXAMINATION IN THESE TYPE OF 2 ENVELOPES LIKE THAT. 3 MR. YOUNGFLESH OPENED THE ENVELOPE AND 4 FOUND -- 5 THE COURT: YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SLOW DOWN A 6 LITTLE BIT. 7 THE WITNESS: I'M SORRY. 8 THE REPORTER: "MR. YOUNGFLESH"? 9 THE WITNESS: MR. YOUNGFLESH FOUND AN ENVELOPE 10 ON A BOOKCASE BEHIND SOME BOOKS, IT WAS STICKING UP, 11 AND YOU COULD SEE THE TOP QUARTER, I WOULD SAY, OF 12 THIS ENVELOPE. INSIDE THE ENVELOPE WERE THREE ZIP 13 DISKS AND THREE CD ROMS.
From the trial (day 13 - afternoon 2)...
Q. WITH REGARD TO MR. YOUNGFLESH, YOU TOLD US THAT14 WHEN YOU FIRST SAW THE C. D.S AND THE ZIP DISKS THEY WERE IN HIS15 HAND, IS THAT RIGHT?16 A. YES, SIR.17 Q. WERE THEY IN ANY KIND OF AN ENVELOPE?18 A. NO, SIR.
As indicated by the bold part of the prelim. testimony - Watkins says he himself saw the envelope sticking up a little bit - but now at the trial - he sees no envelope. HMMMMN.
Thanks for that! It does look like an older denise..
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