GUILTY CA - Justice Rees, 2 wks, Woodland, 24 Feb 2015

[MsMarple]

Two panels of prospective jurors have been summoned for the trial, which is expected to last about four weeks, with testimony from as many as 120 witnesses, attorneys in the case said at a trial readiness conference Friday in Yolo Superior Court.

Twelve jurors and four alternates will comprise the panel.
...
The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office initially charged Green with involuntary manslaughter, but just days later escalated the count to second-degree murder under the implied malice theory — that is, by abusing drugs during and after her pregnancy, Green acted with such recklessness that her baby’s death was a likely and foreseeable outcome.

Green’s public defenders, meanwhile, have retained an expert witness, UC Davis Medical Center psychiatrist Dr. Matthew Soulier, who has opined that Green was in the midst of a drug-induced psychosis when she took her baby into the slough.

http://www.davisenterprise.com/loca.../baby-justice-homicide-case-headed-for-trial/

 

[MsMarple]

[video=twitter;765217360533827584]https://twitter.com/RinaNakanoTV/status/765217360533827584[/video]
Rina Nakano ✔ @RinaNakanoTV
After 15 witnesses appear in court briefly to schedule testimony times, Samantha Green walks into court. @FOX40

FOX40 News Retweeted
Rina Nakano ‏@RinaNakanoTV 35m35 minutes ago
Samantha Green Trial Day 1: Judge laying out rules for the trial before choosing jury/alternates. Going thru motions from both sides. @FOX40

FOX40 News Retweeted
Rina Nakano ‏@RinaNakanoTV 2h2 hours ago
Samantha Green accused of killing her 19day-old baby in Feb 2015. People say implied malice, 2nd deg #murder. @FOX40

 

[MsMarple]

Mark Kewman ‏@mkewman 15s15 seconds ago
Mid morning break over, Judge is preparing People & Defense for Jury Selection this afternoon. He says he is hoping it'll only take 2 days.

Mark Kewman ‏@mkewman 24m24 minutes ago
The judge has ruled on a number of motions and ordered witnesses back to court on their respective days. Short recess now #SamanthaGreenCase

Mark Kewman ‏@mkewman 1h1 hour ago
The defense motion to admit what they call "covert video" in a garage: judge will view video #SamanthaGreenCase

Mark Kewman ‏@mkewman 2h2 hours ago
Judge ruling on a "plethora' of motions by both the defense and the people. #SamanthaGreenCase

Mark Kewman ‏@mkewman 2h2 hours ago
Witnesses are now being brought in while the defendant is getting changed. #SamanthaGreenCase

Mark Kewman ‏@mkewman 2h2 hours ago
Samantha Green just walked in to the courtroom in green & white stripes since media is here they decided to dress her out #SamanthaGreenCase

Mark Kewman ‏@mkewman 2h2 hours ago
There is a massive line out the door of Yolo Superior Court and stretching down the street. I'm here for the #SamanthaGreenTrial

https://twitter.com/mkewman

 

[MsMarple]

Mark Kewman ‏@mkewman 3m3 minutes ago
Court is going on lunch break, should be back at 1:30 for Jury Selection #SamanthaGreenCase

That's 2 hours from now.

 

[Emi]

Thanks MsMarple appreciate all the tweets

Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk

 

[MsMarple]

Mark Kewman ‏@mkewman 2m2 minutes ago
Jury Selection just getting underway in #SamanthaGreenCase at Yolo Superior Court in Woodland

 

[MsMarple]

There's a big fire burning in Lake county - it's pretty bad with over 200 homes burned and some businesses too - so that's been the focus of today's news. We'll likely hear more in the next few days as jury selection winds up. In the meantime:

Jury selection begins Monday in Woodland in the murder trial of Samantha Lee Green, accused in the February 2015 death of her infant son Justice Rees in a Knights Landing-area slough.

More than 200 potential jurors are expected to be interviewed Monday and Tuesday in Yolo Superior Court before Judge David Rosenberg for what the judge anticipated will be a weeks-long trial. Rosenberg at the pretrial hearing said he was hopeful that a jury would be empaneled by the end of the week.

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article95766332.html

 

[tlcya]

moving this thread over to trials. Thank you so very much MsMarple for keeping us updated on this case.

 

[MsMarple]

Right now the Clayton fire is dominating the news, and rightfully so; the governor has declared a state of emergency! Hopefully as the fire is contained we'll see more news about Green's trial. Here's an article with the case background and some of what happened yesterday during jury selection:

Next, he asked the jurors if there was anything about the charge of second degree murder with implied malice to indicate a reason for potential bias. One of the jurors stated that she has strong feelings about a mother’s role, being a mother herself as well as losing a child. She believes that a mother’s role is to protect her child at all costs.

At this point, Rosenberg cut her off and reminded the court that a trial is decided on evidence and the law. It would undermine the integrity of the court if a verdict were decided based on emotions.

However, many other jurors had the same complaint. There was one pregnant mother and a few adoptive parents. One in particular, who adopted her child from the custody of another woman, indicated that her child had been terrorized by her biological mother. The juror related this with such frustration that her eyes began to water.

Rosenberg asked her if she could put her feelings aside for the sake of the trial. She said she could not and stated that, similar to her child’s biological mother, the defendant has probably always had excuses for the mistreatment of the victim.

http://www.davisvanguard.org/2016/08/trial-begins-samantha-green-baby-murder/

More at the link.

 

[MsMarple]

Long article on opening statements:

The prosecution’s presentation began with a phone call recording in which Ms. Green is heard explaining the night in question.
...
Mr. Couzens went on to highlight themes of the case, specifically excuse and blame shifting. He accused the defense of excusing the defendant’s actions or placing blame on everyone except the defendant.
...
In an interview with another detective, Ms. Green disclosed that she and Mr. Rees had used meth. She explained that Mr. Rees told her the apocalypse was coming and that she needed to escape with their baby. When asked about KF, she admitted that the sexual assault never happened.

To yet another officer, Ms. Green claimed her life was at risk. She said KF threatened her, saying that Mr. Rees was tied up in Knights Landing and needed to take their baby to save him. He allegedly said he would hurt her if she spoke about this exchange.

The prosecution told the jurors they will be presented with evidence that shows Ms. Green has experience with meth and is aware of the dangers of taking the drug. Mr. Couzens showed a Facebook post in which Ms. Green appears to be communicating with a friend, claiming she is an unfit mother due to her drug addiction.
...
The defense told the jury they will hear from three medical professionals, one of whom is hired by the defense. This particular expert witness will give an opinion on drug-induced psychosis. This is pertinent to the defense’s case of framing Mr. Rees’s “psychobabble” as the basis for Ms. Green’s delusions. The combination of what Mr. Rees told Ms. Green in addition to meth resulted in a phenomenon known as “folie à deux,” a term used to describe two people sharing the same delusions.

http://www.davisvanguard.org/2016/08/opening-statements-samantha-green-trial/

Defense attorney recounts Green's history of meth use. Frank was her drug dealer originally. He let her stay with him and a month later she was pregnant. And sure enough, the defense is placing blame on Frank, the butt injection of meth and even the social worker who let baby Justice go home with his parents. Next up, blame the kitchen sink too.

Defense is glossing over the part where Samantha made, you know, choices that eventually led to the death of her newborn. Cry me a river. :boohoo:

 

[MsMarple]

Before a jury composed of seven women and five men — as well as five alternates — Green’s defense attorney, Yolo County Public Defender Tracie Olson, said baby Justice’s death was the result of Green’s drug-induced psychosis, that she lacked the implied malice necessary for a murder conviction and that Green had done what she could to keep baby Justice safe in the slough.

But Deputy District Attorney Ryan Couzens argued that jealousy, not drugs, led to the infant’s death and that Green “murdered Justice,” taking him down into the slough while high on methamphetamine and staying there until he died.
...
But jealousy over Rees’ meeting with another woman prompted Green’s actions that day, said Couzens, who added that “every single thing you’re going to see … is going to be all about excuses and blame-shifting … that Samantha Green is the victim.

“(But) there is only one victim and that is Justice Rees.”
...
“The whole house was odd,” Olson said, with Rees’ mother drinking heavily and cameras placed throughout the interior of the house — placed there, Rees told Green, because “people lived in the attic,” Olson said.

Rees later said he’d been “gaslighting” Green, Olson told jurors, meaning he intentionally manipulated Green enough so she didn’t trust her own thoughts.

At first Green didn’t believe the things Rees told her, Olson said, but as time went on, “what she heard and what she was told became real to her … she started becoming scared and paranoid like Frank.”

http://www.davisenterprise.com/loca...ng-statements-in-baby-justice-homicide-trial/

My bolding.

 

[MsMarple]

“She said she was kidnapped and ‘My baby’s dead. My baby’s dead. It froze last night,’ ” Villasenor told a hushed Woodland courtroom Friday about that cold February day in 2015.
...
“I don’t know what happened. I’m badly hurt. I can’t walk. I’ve got bruises all over my body,” Green’s voice was heard telling the dispatcher.

“Where’s the baby?” the dispatcher asked.

“He died,” Green cried out. “It was so cold.” The dispatcher asked again for the infant’s location.

“I don’t know,” Green said, her voice hoarse from crying. “I have no idea.”

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article96788162.html

During the trial’s opening statements, Deputy District Attorney Ryan Couzens pointed to Green’s jealousy as the catalyst for her actions, while Public Defender Tracie Olson painted a picture of a young woman down on her luck, addicted to drugs, and manipulated by a twisted love affair.

“She left him out there in the dirt to be found days later,” asserted Couzens to a jury of seven women and five men. “There’s only one victim in this case — Justice Rees. ... This is about jealousy, drugs, and choices.”

Both attorneys agreed that Green’s fiancé, Frank Rees, 30, is not a good man. He was a drug dealer with two ex-wives, four children, and lived with his parents.

Rees also cheated on Green with one of his ex-wives on at least one occasion and frequently tried to pressure her into having group sex with women he was interested in.

According to Couzens, Green had a history of having “extreme emotional responses” to infidelity and, in the weeks before their baby’s death, Rees began to distance himself.

Couzens also mentioned that Green was very attached to Rees and that the extent of her attachment “disturbed” her sister.

On Feb. 23, Green and Rees were supposed to be picking up a woman for the purposes of group sex. When Green changed her mind, the couple got into a fight about infidelity.

Afterward, Green had a second change of heart and sent a text saying, “I’m on my way babe, I love you so much,” before heading to Knights Landing with Justice to look for Rees and the other woman. According to Couzens, the pair were engaged in sexual activity in Ree’s Saturn a short distance away.

http://www.dailydemocrat.com/article/NI/20160819/NEWS/160819866

The trial continues on Monday.

 

[MsMarple]

Green was slated to testify today. So far there's no report - hopefully tomorrow wil bring a summary. In the meantime here's some info on some of the witnesses who testified on Friday:

The first witness to take the stand was “KF.” He was in custody and wore prison clothing when he entered the courtroom. Judge Rosenberg instructed the jurors not to let KF’s in-custody status influence their evaluation of his testimony.

When asked to give sworn testimony, KF refused. He said he did not agree with the witness oath to tell the truth.

Deputy DA Robert Gordon questioned him about February 23, 2015. KF stated that he would not concur with “SR’s” answers. SR is KF’s girlfriend. She had testified earlier in the Samantha Green trial.

KF stated that he did not remember speaking to Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Glaser and another officer. KF also testified that he did not know Ms. Green.
...
The next witness was Detective Matthew Jameson from the Woodland Police Department.
...
The next witness to testify was “DF,” who was also in custody. The prosecutor asked DF if he remembered calling the Woodland Police Department on February 24 about a stolen vehicle in a Knights Landing cul-de-sac. DF replied that he did not.

Mr. Gordon expressed his frustration with the stubbornness of the in-custody witnesses and halted questioning. Judge Rosenberg instructed Mr. Gordon to proceed with the trial.

The prosecutor then approached the witness and showed him a photo. Mr. Gordon asked DF if it refreshed his memory. DF stated that it did not. The witness was dismissed.
...
Crime Scene Investigator Lauren Hartfield of the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department was the next to testify.

http://www.davisvanguard.org/2016/08/samantha-green-trial-continues/

So two witnesses - who were in custody - proved to be combatative and uncooperative. AFAIK they were not in custody in connection to the case. Interestingly, the first witness, identified as "KF" has the same initials as the man Green accused of sexually assaulting her. She said the reason she jumped into the water was because KF groped her and then chased after her. Eventually she admitted this was a lie, and LE also concluded the evidence did not support her story.

 

[MsMarple]

From Monday morning:

Before the jury entered the courtroom, Judge Rosenberg announced that he had just received the two motions Ms. Olson had filed on Sunday night. She had filed a motion to exclude Robert Kinsey’s (an entomologist expert witness) testimony and a motion for an Evidence Code section 402 hearing regarding the admissibility of Deputy Sean Rosner’s testimony about his K-9 unit. In response, Mr. Couzens filed oppositions to Ms. Olson’s motions.
...
Counsel approached the bench to discuss the matter further. Judge Rosenberg ruled that witnesses will testify out of order and Ms. Olson’s motions would be addressed at a future point in time.

The first witness to take the stand was Kurt Zeiler from the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office.
The next witness to testify was “JS,” a registered nurse in Woodland.

Mr. Couzens asked about JS’s contact with Ms. Green. JS testified that she was Ms. Green’s nurse and that she performed several assessments. In addition, she informed Ms. Green regarding hospital safety. JS noted especially that Ms. Green had a flat affect, a reduction in emotional expressiveness.
...
JS also stated that Ms. Green mentioned she had been assaulted.
...
Ms. Olson believed it was not necessary to have an entomologist expert witness testify. Mr. Couzens argued otherwise, and stated that the expert witness could provide more precise information on Justice Rees’ time of death through analyzing larvae found in the body. Mr. Couzens stated that this information was relevant because Ms. Green had given multiple answers on what time she had left Justice Rees.

Judge Rosenberg inquired whether the expert witness would provide an exact time. Mr. Couzens replied that the expert witness would testify to a range of time.

At this point, Mr. Couzens appeared to grow very irritable with Judge Rosenberg.
...
The final witness was Kelly Arthur-Kenny, a forensic pathologist expert witness. She was assigned to examining Justice Rees’ body and determining his cause of death.

Mr. Gorman first asked Ms. Arthur-Kenny about Justice Rees’ autopsy. The witness stated that the body had no obvious fractures or skeletal fractions.
...
She stated that Justice Rees suffered from atrial septal defect (ASD, a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA, a persistent opening between two major blood vessels leading to the heart).

From the afternoon session (the article is very long and I'm keeping to the 10% copyright rule - there's much more at the link):

The first witness to take the stand during today’s hearing was forensic pathologist Dr. Kelly Arthur-Kenny, who conducted the autopsy of Justice Rees’s body. When she gave her testimony, Dr. Kenny stated that the results of the autopsy revealed that she could rule out physical or mechanical abuse as a possible cause of death, as Justice had no injuries to the brain or to any of his bones. She was also able to rule out malnutrition and drug exposure as other possible causes.
...
Dr. Kenny stated with certainty that if she had done the same autopsy in a case just like this but with an infant that did not have heart defects, the environmental exposure the baby was subjected to in this case would have likely been the cause of death on its own. It was also her opinion that the position the baby was found in was not the same position that the baby had died in, based on various medical factors that she observed during the autopsy.

http://www.davisvanguard.org/2016/08/pathologist-reveals-cause-death-baby-green-case/

The last witness, Mary S, testified about Samantha's and Frank's drug use, physical condition and home environment during a visit with them in February 2015. It's a bleak picture; she described the garage (where I think they were living) as "cold, smelly" and with drugs, marijuana pipes and meth pipes all over the place. Both seemed to be high at the time and:

Ms. S said Justice was not clothed appropriately, and that he had been shivering from the cold. Ms. Green appeared to be upset and did not allow Ms. Swanson to hold the baby, as she claimed that the baby was ill. She also did not welcome any suggestions from Ms. Swanson regarding ways to comfort the infant.

Ugh.

 

[MsMarple]

From Tuesday. Another very long article. A total of 8 witnesses from various Kaiser Permanente clinics testified about Green's prenatal visits. The first was via telephone and Green admitted to marijuana use and said she had anxiety, which had not been diagnosed anywhere.

After her first visit Green missed a number of followup appointments. Employees tried to contact her by phone, email and finally by certified letter, which was returned. She finally showed up in late September. Green denied drug use but the doctor ordered a tox screen anyway, which came back positive for... wait for it... amphetamine and methamphetamine.

Subsequently she had a physical exam and took a battery of tests - AOQ (Adult Outcomes Questionnaire) test and a depression screening questionnaire She scored 19 which is "moderate" but refused treatment or meds.

Her next visit wasn't until late January. Urine tests came back negative. The doctor prescribed meds for an STD. At that same visit she was given "video counseling" about substance abuse. Green reported that there was no drug use at home and that she hadn’t used drugs for three to four months, except for marijuana for sleep.

She refused prenatal services for food, chemical dependency recovery, diapers, clothing, baby formula, etc. However, the therapist did not report to CPS. She said she was not taking her meds and the doctor stressed the impotance of the STD meds. In February, her drug screen came back positive.

After having a c-section she again tested positive for drugs. She was advised not to breastfeed. Justice tested positive for drugs and was put in the NICU. CPS was called. We know the rest of that story.

Detectives Thomas Hayes and Greg Ford were also called to testify about the day Green disappeared. Darryl James Turner, a physician’s assistant at the Woodland Memorial Hospital also testified about the time Green was in the hospital after being found. She told Turner that she had used methamphetamine about 10 days prior to being admitted to the hospital. Her urine screen tested positive for marijuana and meth. Turner also said he wasn't yet aware that Justice had died - Green's concern was centered on seeing Frank.

Deputy Shawn Rosner of the Placer County Sheriff’s Department also testified - he was the K-9 handler. He had his dog Jet sniff Green's car and then gave him a “foot-track” search command. Jet didn't find baby Justice but he did find the diaper bag.

The last witness of the day was John Knapp, director of Valley Toxicology Inc. who testified about Green's lab tests from February 25:

Mr. Knapp stated that on February 25, 2015, he conducted blood-alcohol and drug content lab exams for Ms. Green. The results showed that the alcohol content in her blood was zero. However, the sample contained acetone, a chemical that is not typically found in the blood under normal conditions. Mr. Knapp did not have any information as to why Ms. Green’s blood contained acetone, but he stated that this is usually caused by diabetes and less frequently by starvation or malnutrition. Other than being produced by the body, acetone may have been present in her blood due to ingestion of the chemical either intravenously or through the mouth.

http://www.davisvanguard.org/2016/08/witnesses-testify-greens-parental-responsibility/

Through further witness testimonies on August 23, 2016, in Department 14, defendant Samantha Green’s past commitment to prenatal care were called into question. First, seven stipulations were read to the jury, instructing them to be accepted as fact without testimony. During her pregnancy, Green had undergone six separate urine drug screening tests, from the first in June 2014 to the last in February 2015. Out of those six screens, she tested positive for THC (the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana) two times, and for amphetamine/methamphetamine four times. Justice, the baby, tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine on February 6, 2015.

 

[MsMarple]

From Wednesday. 14 witnesses testified. An RN who was caring for Green after Justice's birth said that Green requested to see Justice in the NICU. She took over an hour to reach the NICU. When the nurse questioned her about it Green said she had lunch with her mother first. She seemed intoxicated and the nurse suspected she'd left the grounds to go get high.

Another nurse testified that Green and Frank asked to be notified when Justice was up so they could visit but when the nurse tried to reach them by cell phone it just went to voicemail. When they finally went to see Justice a third witness said she handed Justice to Frank to hold and minutes later saw that he had nodded off. Green also failed to show up to feed Justice when called. This was concerning since the nursed ended up feeding him most of the time.

An ER doctor and RN testified about the night Green was brought in from the slough. Green complained of pain in her leg and neck so the doctor ordered a CT scan. A forensic toxicologist (maybe Mr. Knapp continuing his testimony) analyzed blood and urine samples and found meth but he couldn't say when she had ingested it.

Frank's parents also testified:

The mother remembered seeing Green the morning she went missing, at around 7:30am. Green was feeding three of the children breakfast, while holding and singing to Justice in her arms. Both PR and WR testified that Green knew how to appropriately dress the children, protect them from the cold, and feed them. They also testified to positive relationships with Green, to her helping around the house, and to her motherly role and interactions with the kids. PR said she never had concerns that Green wanted to harm her baby, and would not ever imagine Green leaving Justice in a car on a trip to the convenience store.

Meanwhile, Frank Rees was in bed complaining of some condition, although he usually was also up at that time in the morning. PR remembered that Rees also asked for money, although he has asked her for money so many times she does not have independent memory of each occurrence. PR also testified that, although her son spent a lot of time with Green in the garage, which was turned into some kind of den, he was often not home either. PR would send text messages asking for his whereabouts, and Green would leave voicemails, either threatening to leave him or pleading with him to return home. Twenty clips of these voicemails were presented as evidence by the prosecution.

http://www.davisvanguard.org/2016/08/testimonies-provide-insight-factors-leading-baby-death/

There's more of their testimony at the link. Frank's mother claimed that Green was very attached to Frank and the feeling was mutual. Frank often said things he didn't really mean, like wanting to leave Green or blaming her for his depression. Whenever Frank yelled at her Green tended to go out for a long walk.

Frank's mother also said Green was frustrated and overwhelmed by taking care of the 5 kids in the house.

PR and WR were present with Green and Frank Rees at a CPS (child protective services) meeting to discuss making the home safe for Justice. Rees had not held a paid job since 2012, and one of PR’s concerns during the meeting was for her son to get cash aid. Rees also had a history of methamphetamine use since he was 15 years old, and he was supposed to attend a drug rehabilitation program. PR’s role was to keep an eye out for drug use and report to CPS when suspicions arise. She said she never saw any sign of drugs or drug use, but Rees was arrested when the police searched the garage and found methamphetamine.

It seems like Frank's parents, and in particular his mom, are in denial about their son and his problems. They kind of took Frank's and Green's meth use in stride. Despite the safety plan I get the feeling that the parents were pretty much hands off when it came to Justice's care, leaving most of it to Green. That's how it should be - in an ideal situation - but things weren't ideal. Earlier in the week a witness mentioned that Frank's mom drank heavily. As Green's lawyer said, the house was odd; I'd say it was dysfunctional.

Trial resumes on Monday.

 

[roesmom]

Also from Wednesday - similar article with additional information. (i.e. a bit more detailed testimony from Frank Rees Mom)


http://www.davisenterprise.com/loca.../babys-short-life-marked-by-domestic-turmoil/

 

[MsMarple]

Also from Wednesday - similar article with additional information. (i.e. a bit more detailed testimony from Frank Rees Mom)


http://www.davisenterprise.com/loca.../babys-short-life-marked-by-domestic-turmoil/

Ugh. From your link:

Frank Rees has a new girlfriend now, his mother said, who has moved into the family’s home. His children are in foster care, however, presumably the result of officers finding drugs and ammunition in the house during their investigation into Justice’s death.

Charges in that case are still pending.

So I predict Frank will soon add another "baby momma" (oh how I hate that term!) to his stable - apparently birth control is of no concern to anyone involved here. That will make 4. BTW, the "Mary S. who testified earlier this week is the grandmother of three of Frank's older children.

And WTH is wrong with his parents - they're still aiding, abetting and excusing his awful behavior.

Ooh, I'm so mad at all of these people. Stupid, stupid behavior. :furious:

 

[MsMarple]

Monday's testimony focused on the safety plan social worker Valerie Zeller from Child Welfare Services (CWS, previously called CPS) put in place after Justice's birth. Also, Frank's sister and his ex-girlfriend both called Zeller on February 23 and 25, warning that baby Justice wasn't being taken care of properly and that Green was intoxicated from drugs. Sadly, the ex-girlfriend's call on the 25 came after baby Justice had died.

The social worker went to the Rees' house after Frank's sister called but Green had already taken off with Justice - she had no idea of the circumstances.

That day, Zeller received a phone call from Rees’ sister, who had concerns that the new parents weren’t following the safety plan. Zeller paid a surprise lunchtime visit to their house, encountering Rees and his father in the driveway. Green and Justice were nowhere in sight.

Frank Rees was “not very friendly or engaged,” Zeller said. “It seemed a little bit odd, but only in retrospect, knowing they were trying to locate Ms. Green at the time.”
...
Zeller said she received a second warning about Justice on Feb. 25, 2015, from Frank Rees’ ex-girlfriend, who several days earlier saw Green appearing under the influence of drugs outside a local fast-food restaurant, her baby clad in just a onesie despite the bitter winter cold.

By the time Zeller got that call, however, Justice had died on the bank of Ridge Cut Slough.

http://www.davisenterprise.com/loca...-spotlights-overwhelmed-child-welfare-agency/

The Daily Democrat reporter talked about the problems with CWS - flaws in the system, case workers overwhelmed - but while I get it, at the same time Justice's environment was actually better than many of the cases social workers are assigned. Samantha and Frank had support from his parents, both financially and by being given a place to live. The biggest concern was Green's drug use but the parents agreed to monitor the situation. I don't blame them for Justice's death but it seems they were so concerned about losing Frank's other four children that they didn't step forward when things started going south.

Zeller reported that a concern for the family was also the custody of Frank’s other four children. They were living in the home with Frank, but were not legally in his custody. According to Zeller, these kids were being taken care of on the grandparents’ dime and, should Frank have legal custody of them, he would have a better chance of receiving government aid.

Zeller noted she believed, contrary to the grandparents’ statements, that they should have realized that Green and Frank were using meth in the home. She added that, had they reported knowledge of the drug use, that the placement of the other four children would have been reassessed. For this reason, the grandparents may not have been forthcoming with the extent of their knowledge.

All four children had open cases with Child Welfare Services prior to Justice’s birth and were removed from the home after Justice died as more information about Frank came to light.

http://www.dailydemocrat.com/genera...ustice-murder-trial-exposes-flawed-cws-system

The Davis Vanguard report once again is very long and goes into much more detail about how the safety plan was set up among the adults. A staff nurse from the NICU testified about Justice's condition.

She found that he had a higher Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) score than what the nurse in the baby-mother unit had reported. The NAS is a term for a group of problems observed in the newborn which reflect withdrawal from exposure to drugs before birth. The higher score was due to an additional observation about Justice’s elevated temperature, which may have been hyperthermia due to the meth in his system.

He was also scored for tremors, high-pitched cries indicative of substance withdrawal, and inability to keep food down.

MS, who had testified earlier also returned to the stand. She's the grandmother of three of Frank's kids. She wanted to add more information than what was asked during her testimony.

She had called the district attorney and public defender’s office, saying she had more to say but wasn’t asked during her testimony. MS testified that she definitely saw Green on February 23, 2015, the morning of her disappearance, and that Green not only seemed under the influence of something, but was frantic and in a hurry.

An M.D. who examined Green after she was found testified on her physical condition. Next up was Detective Polay, a former police officer and an EMT. An audio recording of Green's interview was played - the contents are at the link. In part:

When the detective asked Ms. Green how she and Justice ended up in that area of Knights Landing to begin with (the day before the interview), Samantha answered that she had been looking for Frank (Rees), her fiancé and the father of Justice Rees. Earlier that day, she had stopped by her house to pick up Baby Justice’s formula while Rees was supposedly already on his way to the same area to which she and Justice ended up driving. In addition, Green stated that she suspected Rees had been cheating on her with a woman known as “MC,” and that Rees might have been with MC in that area.

The day's final witness was TW, who was previously employed as a social worker at the Yolo County Jail. She met with Green on the morning of February 28. She had received a call the night before advising her that Green had been put on suicide watch.

The information that TW obtained from the assessment indicated that Ms. Green had not affirmed experiencing any audio or visual hallucinations. According to TW, Green claimed to have been subjected to physical, sexual and mental abuse in her previous relationship of seven years, which had ended three years prior to their meeting. In addition, Green’s records indicated that she had been diagnosed with anxiety and she claimed that she smokes marijuana to control her anxiety.

Afterward, Ms. Green stated that she had previously experienced audio and visual hallucinations after using methamphetamine during the two days that she and Baby Justice were missing. While she was missing in Knights Landing with Justice, she remembered hearing “hell’s gates” and “seeing Satan,” and also believed that people were out to hurt her baby.

http://www.davisvanguard.org/2016/08/testimony-details-cps-involvement-green-case/

Whew! Quite a day!

 

[MsMarple]

From Wednesday. Another long day and long report. The first part of a 2 hour 44 minute video/audio recording was played for the jury. The interview was about Green's version of what happened the day she disappeared with baby Justice. It was pretty much the story we're all familiar with by now and you can read the report at the link. A little new info came out however:

When Green got back, she saw Rees’ friend “Cary” with his girlfriend “Sharon” standing in the driveway. They asked her where Rees was, and Green said Sharon was smiling eerily. Green went inside to change baby Justice’s diaper and prepare a bottle of formula, then returned to the Chevy Traverse she was driving, having changed her mind again about meeting Monica. When Green got back to the car, Cary and Sharon were gone, and the car doors were unlocked, even though she thought she locked them. Green then headed to the north levee in Knights Landing to find Monica, even though she knew it was around time to pick up Rees’ three children from school at 2:15pm.

Officer Benjamin Yen from the Woodland Police Department had testified that he spoke with Rees’ father, “WR,” about his encounter with Green on the day of her disappearance. Around 1pm on February 23, WR asked Green to return his cell phone, which she agreed to do after she deleted some items. She asked WR for a phone charger, but was given a part of it. WR found his Chevy Traverse missing afterwards.

http://www.davisvanguard.org/2016/08/greens-relates-version-events-surrounding-baby-death/

Green stated in the interview that she had felt dizzy and queasy in a way she had never experienced. She also talked about "Cary" sexually assaulting her. Deputy Sheriff Mike Ha from the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office followed up on the report of assault and was able to establish where "Cary" was all day - nowhere near the slough.

Another interesting part from the interview:

Green also said that, while swimming across the river, she held Justice above the water with her right hand, and lost the purse, diaper bag, and shoes she was holding in the other. She also said she lost the baby blanket that was wrapped around Justice. After making it to the opposite shore, Green said she kept pushing forward by the water at the bottom of the levee. She could hear footsteps chasing after her, but couldn’t see anyone. All she wanted to do was keep her baby safe. It was getting dark by the time she stopped, and she sat down to lean against a tree. Green said Justice had been crying the entire time.
...
In the beginning, Green said she had worn her coat across the river, and used it to replace the blanket that was covering Justice. Then, in the middle of her interview, Nyland told her they found her coat. It was completely dry, with no sign of it being wet, and Green responded that she had laid it out to dry over a night and a day. Then Nyland told her the coat was found nowhere near Justice, even though Green said she wrapped it around him. Green then said she had taken her coat off before swimming across.

Previous msm reports insinuated that Green had used her coat to keep Justice warm. Apparently not. And as for Frank's mom, well...

Rees’ mother, PR, had also told the kids that Rees and Green would love the new baby more, causing more stress because Green felt and treated them like her own children.

WTF??

Green also admitted she had taken an anxiety pill in the morning that may have influenced her perception later in the day. Eventually she admitted that she not only took the pill and used meth on Sunday, but also took five hits of meth on Monday morning.

And finally:

“TS” first made contact with Green when she worked as a mental health clinician from the California Forensic Medical Group. TS testified that on March 1 and March 8 of 2015, Green had no visual or audio hallucinations, but had poor insight and judgment, particularly in understanding the gravity of her case. She showed an inappropriate affect (visual presentation/emotions of face), and expected to be bailed out. However, TS also noted that there could be delayed mental health symptoms, and once the gravity of the situation hit, Green may be a danger to her or others. Green complained about receiving food and prison commissary times. On March 22, Green’s chief complaint was that the medical staff was too loud when she was trying to sleep. She was also angry about rules and the time she was allowed out of her cell. Green had nightmares and flashbacks, and was on administrative segregation (ad seg) status.

What a nightmare little baby Justice went through. :tears: