2011.06.06 Sidebar (Trial Day Eleven)

[joypath]

Better make that a burger. Wonder if he likes them well-done or rare.

:floorlaugh::floorlaugh: I am so sure he's on the "make it at least 160 degrees cooked" bandwagon! Escherichia coli 0157:H7 is NOT a condiment!:floorlaugh::floorlaugh:


PS: had a microbiology prof who named his daughter Serratia after the bacteria Serratia marcescens.:innocent:

 

[Nali87]

My 100th post! In 3 days! I type a lot. :floorlaugh:

 

[6Cinder1ella2011]

prior to the discussion of the Labrador patent &$: (IMO JB wasting time) the divining rod presentation. As it was-Dr V is a goal oriented scientific researcher on the cutting edge of a new frontier in evidence. A fine gentleman presented his decades challenges and hobbiest enthusiasm most properly as a goal focused multiidisiplined expert.

 

[Turnadot]

One more thing about Dr Vass, I don't think for one moment the freaking FBI would seek Dr Vass out for his expertise if his work and methodology were followed by a big question mark.

 

[kantoo]

Can someone tell me how JB came to be ICA's attorney?

ICA heard some inmates talking about him....i think i would rather get a referral from someone who has been "sprung", but that's just me

 

[Miaa]

What about when Baez asked DR. Vass if he Knew of a Dr. Vass and DR. Vass replied to Baez " I am DR. Vass" I laughed so hard my ribs hurt!

That was the most hilarious exchange I've heard during a trial. I about coughed up a lung. :floorlaugh:

 

[Themis]

Can you explain? TIA

JB complained but it was HHJP that used the term objection and then ruled on it. He said JB asked the question and the witness could answer. JB then withdrew the question. IIRC

 

[Intermezzo]

Were the As in court today?

yes they were.

 

[Cherry Baby]

I will be forever grateful to Dr. Vass as my 13 year old was riveted to his testimony, making notes and is just a fire with a renewed interest in science.

My daughter as well. She even told me that she watched a bit Saturday while she was her friend's house. Ahh, two young WS'ers in training!

Coincidence - just got the last term report card, two B's, two A-'s, and two A's. She is officially smarter than a certain lawyer we watched today.

 

[Juliana]

Have we exhausted the subject of the wikipedia edits from a florida IP address during the trial lunch hour yet?

This is so suspicious. I hope HHBP, SA or media looks into this. Richard Hornsby...where are ya?

 

[The Eunice Burns]

Slightly OT, and may have been mentioned before.......

I am reading a book called "Stiff" by Mary Roach. I think it is the 3rd chapter; she goes to visit Dr. Vass for her book. Very interesting.

 

[momtective]

prior to the discussion of the Labrador patent &$: (IMO JB wasting time) the divining rod presentation. As it was-Dr V is a goal oriented scientific researcher on the cutting edge of a new frontier in evidence. A fine gentleman presented his decades challenges and hobbiest enthusiasm most properly as a goal focused multiidisiplined expert.

I could not help but think about the pioneer scientists and researchers during this testimony and wonder if Benjamin Franklin would have been questioned in such a manner when he discovered electricity.:floorlaugh:

 

[eaglemom]

We still have the dog handlers coming to testify - the decomp evidence for the car is going to be overwhelming strong - IMO

tow truck driver - had worked for both towing company and smelled dead bodies and waste management (no ulterior motive) said it smelled like a dead body
GA - said it smelled like a dead body and he had occasion to smell them in his past as law enforcement officer
CA - strong odor hard to pin down that it smelled like a dead body (but did say at the time it was the worst smell she had ever smelled and was similar to flesh she had to debride as a nurse)
Law enforcement - some smelled it others didn't - those processing vehicle (CSI in direct contact) did
Dr. Vass - has worked with and around decomposing bodies for 20 years - said it smelled like a dead body (at least his carpet sample did)- and whether one agrees with his scientific process or not - his smelling process works fine
Dr. Karen Lowe - FBI hair examiner - root banding on hair - disagreement on whther JB did damage to her testimony or not - my personal opinion is no but I may have already understood too much about it to be objective

MOO

 

[housemouse]

You can believe whatever you want about his affection for divining and that's your right; I believe he has a plethora of interests and hobbies that may be socially unacceptable, but that's part of what would make him interesting to sit and have a lengthy conversation with.

If I were on the jury, the divining rod information wouldn't phase me in the slightest.

For whatever it is worth, my husband (architect) was hired to build some condominiums on 20 acres of raw land, and called a local well-driller with an excellent reputation for digging good wells.

He walked the property with the well driller, who pulled out his dowsing rods, and found the very best location for a well that could supply the condos with all the water they needed, even in a drought. My husband was surprised, as he went to MIT, the kind of school where such things are made fun of.

Being skeptical, but polite, he asked the well driller to explain how these worked. The well driller explained that not everyone can use them effectively, but that some people have the ability. He then showed my husband how to use them, and walked to another part of the property for hubbie's practice.

Bingo, hubbie found several other locations where there was the potential for a good well, and was completely convinced. The well driller told him that whatever makes this possible, my husband had the talent/ability to find water.

 

[texaslb218]

Although I'm sure the DT will come and read here and prep their client to behave in the appropriate "mourning" manner...One week from Thursday will be a day when the world will be closely focused on ICA...my guess is she will cry a river that day...and that day only. At her attorneys urging, I strongly suspect she will have a complete breakdown in front of the jury. Yes indeed this is sure to be a red letter day for the defense. :banghead:

I agree with your opinion, But I don't think ICA can sustain that level of emotion (of any kind, even anger) for a whole day. I think she flits from state of mind (not emotion) to another, always deciding what she should be doing or expressing.

 

[ynotdivein]

Although I'm sure the DT will come and read here and prep their client to behave in the appropriate "mourning" manner...One week from Thursday will be a day when the world will be closely focused on ICA...my guess is she will cry a river that day...and that day only. At her attorneys urging, I strongly suspect she will have a complete breakdown in front of the jury. Yes indeed this is sure to be a red letter day for the defense. :banghead:

Didn't the SA say that they would be wrapping up their presentation the 16th or 17th? Something tells me that one way or another, they won't let this slip by the jurors' notice.

Goes to my earlier comment that the SA has scripted this, as far as possible, down to the minute. If I understand correctly what they are doing, they're following the timeline, and I wonder if they will finish by going back through the timeline to reinforce it using the ping and text data. IMO!

 

[marspiter]

But you have to judge each individual technique on it's own merits. That is based on the research and protocols which buttress any relatively new technique.

If I were a juror I would find Casey's own words to be the main reason I would be strongly leaning toward guilt at this point. I just haven't heard anything that definitively says there was a dead body in the trunk (although I believe there was as merely a trial watcher who does not have the weight of deciding justice on my shoulders). I would discount the tow yard worker's testimony because his credentials were vague. I would question George's testimony because he didn't immediately call 911 for whatever reason. And, as I have posted today, I would have reservations about Vass' testimony. I believe there was also a forensic technician of some sort who also testified about decomposition but I can't judge his testimony because I wasn't able to pay attention to it.

Well here is the thing about circumstantial evidence. You have multiple witnesses with experience in smelling decomp testify that they smelled decomp. Next you have the grave wax, air analysis, cadaver dog hits (not in evidence as of yet). It's not that any one of those definitively says a dead body was in the car. It's the whole picture and when you place that evidence together with one another that it eliminates any other possible answer. The only conclusion from looking at all of those together is that there was indeed a dead body in the trunk imo.

I really wish the SA could let the jury smell those sealed cans.

 

[TxLady2]

I disagree, but for the sake of brevity and not rehashing what others have said before......I'll keep it to this.......

Simon Birch was an excellent witness, IMO. He was well spoken, very clear and concise on procedures, and offered testimony based on his experience at the tow company and as an employee of a waste management company. I don't think the jury would/will discount his testimony. MO

I agree with you, he was excellent as a witness! I loved his accent, I wonder if he was originally from Australia. Anyway, if you've ever smelled human decomp, you don't have to be a scientist to recognize it. I'm not a chef, but I recognize the smell of food cooking.

 

[ZsaZsa]

I too am a divining rod expert like Dr. Vass. My dad taught us when I was about 6 or 7 years old with coat hangers. It's easy and not that big of deal, but we could locate pipes on our property using them. What's the big deal Jose? It works...it's his "hobby".

A lot of people use divining rods to locate water, very successfully.
That's as old as the hills.
Just another example of the breadth of ignorance of JB.

 

[yllek]

I am suprised today was not a total downer in court, considering the subject matter. Not only did we learn a lot from Dr. Vass, imo, there were some genuinely funny moments which were in no way disrespectful to the tragedy at hand.

My personal favorite was when Ashton did his redirect of Dr. Vass, who basically stated that it could be possible that the stain in the trunk came from meat. What I took away from Dr. Vass's answer was that someone would have had to gather pounds of raw meat which had to come from an animal who had eaten a human before being slaughtered (how else would the meat have human-only chemicals?), wrapped it in a bag and placed it in the trunk of a car (in the hot Florida sun). Dr. Vass has integrity, imo. He answers scientifically that "yes" it is possible, but the conditions under which it is possible are as probable as Jose Baez getting through court tomorrow without asking for a mistrial, objecting to his own question, or having the majority of his objections sustained. The likelihood is too small to measure... JMO..