I know both LS and HH are on State's witness list. But unless it is for use as a victim impact statement, I can't really imagine any defense attorney ever agreeing to allow pre-recorded testimony from AS's daughter, LS. While it would be important for the defense to avoid appearing to pick on a child witness, I can't imagine that would extend to foregoing cross-examination (or foregoing the ability to do it in real time.)
Personally I can't imagine LS would have much to say that's useful anyway. She was very young when GS was killed and it's been a few years. So I'd wonder why the State would use her anyway (unless it was to elicit more sympathy from the jury. I know attorneys do that but I don't like it. That belongs in the punishment phase IMO, not the guilt phase of a trial.) But if LS does have some bombshell evidence of her stepmother's guilt to reveal, then like it or not, Leticia has a right to face her accuser. I doubt that will happen. We'll see but attorneys do put people on witness lists they have no intention of calling as part of the "psychological warfare" in a trial.
I'm also not sure what HH can say especially about the home environment. There's no evidence HH was involved in the killing (and she couldn't have been if the reported timetable is accurate. LE verified she was at work.) And IMO there is a danger is trying to present overwhelming evidence of the defendant's ongoing cruelty to GS. If it was so overwhelming, shouldn't AS have noticed if a teenager did? I don't think it's going to be helpful to send the jury's thinking in that direction. I'm also not sure what HH can say about the trip to Florida. Just like the defense can't pick on AS's daughter, the State appearing to pick on HH may not be helpful either. She was a teenager at the time and under her mother's control. But I think there's a better chance she'll be called than Al's daughter.
JMO
.
www.courttv.com
