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Second week of long trial scheduled to resume SIGNONSANDIEGOJune 10, 2002 SAN DIEGO - The second week of what is expected to be a lengthy trial begins today in the case of People vs. David Westerfield, the 50-year-old Sabre Springs man who is accused of kidnapping and killing 7-year-old Danielle van Dam four months ago. The trial of David Westerfield -- one of the most closely watched in San Diego County history -- could last up to three months. Westerfield, a self-employed engineer, is charged with murder and kidnapping. He could face the death penalty if convicted. The first witness...

Westerfield trial TV coverage lures viewers with lurid details Remote ControlRobert P. Laurence June 7, 2002 TV is about pictures, and the David Westerfield trial has not been a pretty picture. Carried live on four local stations, and on cable's Court TV, the trial's pictures have been drawn in words, words like "sexual penetration" "putrefaction," "animal activity" and "decomposition" used in describing what might have happened to the body of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam before and after her death. To many, the pictures, again drawn in words, of adults engaged in spouse-swapping, group sex and pot smoking have been nearly...

Pro-capital-punishment jury sought 'Death-qualified' panel in van Dam case may benefit prosecution, experts say By Alex Roth STAFF WRITERMay 26, 2002 By seeking the death penalty against David Westerfield, prosecutors have done more than just raise the stakes in the high-profile case. They've also helped shape the philosophical outlook of the jury. Because the Westerfield trial is a capital case, all the jurors ? whether they're CEOs or janitors, retirees or recent college grads ? will have one thing in common: A stated belief that the death penalty is appropriate under certain circumstances. Under state law, a jury in a...

SAN DIEGO ---- Court papers outlining defense arguments to suppress statements made by accused child murderer David Westerfield to police and evidence collected from his property will remain under seal for now, a judge ruled Thursday. Other court papers, including a defense motion to sequester the jury when the case goes to trial, will be released Monday, Superior Court Judge William Mudd ruled. The prosecution is opposed to keeping a jury in a hotel for what is expected to be a three- to five-week-long trial. Westerfield, 50, is accused of kidnapping and murdering his 7-year-old neighbor, Danielle van Dam. Her...

SAN DIEGO ---- Court papers outlining defense arguments to suppress statements made by accused child murderer David Westerfield to police and evidence collected from his property will remain under seal for now, a judge ruled Thursday. Other court papers, including a defense motion to sequester the jury when the case goes to trial, will be released Monday, Superior Court Judge William Mudd ruled. The prosecution is opposed to keeping a jury in a hotel for what is expected to be a three- to five-week-long trial. Westerfield, 50, is accused of kidnapping and murdering his 7-year-old neighbor, Danielle van Dam. Her...

After Danielle van Dam was abducted from her Sabre Springs home, neighbors, friends and even strangers volunteered to help out. Some put up fliers in storefronts around the county, and others joined the search party. But many also opened their checkbooks. As of Friday, more than $33,000 had been donated by people from New Jersey to Oregon. During the search for the 7-year-old, donations totaling more than $10,600 flowed into an account in Danielle's name. And since the discovery of her body in rural East County nearly a month after she was reported missing, an additional $22,800 has been deposited....

DAMON van Dam ON WITNESS STAND.....NOW!! Watch it LIVE!!!