Trial Thread, May 1, 2012 Defense begins it case in chief

[Sailor Bug]

RaffertyLFP: Derstine asking woman about statement to police on May 26, 2009.

Derstine asks the witness about May 26th, 2009.

 

[CarrieBean]

Oldsoul2.... this sounds very familiar to me too. Uhmmm.. The woman on the hill...... where is she?

There was a woman in the video who met her son on the sidewalk right when Tori and TLM passed. That one, or was there another?

 

[~n/t~]

Steven D'Souza ‏ @cbcsteve
Jury is back, Derstine returns to pick up questioning grandmother on stand now. Reading part of her police statement from May 26, 2009 #sl

 

[Wondergirl]

JamesArmstrong

Witness says she remembers giving statement to police in 2009. #rafferty

 

[Sailor Bug]

Derstine is reading the statement, it says the white coat woman, with dark hair, was near the school.

It says she went in the front door. She saw the woman with a little girl later. No more questions.

There are some more legal issues to discuss. The jury will be back at 2:30.

RaffertyLFP: Derstine finished. Witness dismissed.

Derstine confirms that is the only witness the defense will call.

RaffertyLFP: Jury given extended lunch until 2:30.

 

[Wondergirl]

James Armstrong‏@jamesarmstrong7

Lawyer reads statement witness gave to police in 2009. She agrees she said. Questioning of witness is done.

https://twitter.com/#

 

[Wondergirl]

12:27
RaffertyLFP:

Jury given extended lunch until 2:30. [via Twitter]

Tuesday May 1, 2012 12:27 RaffertyLFP

12:27
RaffertyLFP:

Derstine finished. Witness dismissed. [via Twitter]

 

[~n/t~]

Avery Moore ‏ @AveryFreeFMNews
Jury back. Witness is back on the stand. Derstine clarifies the piece of her testimony relating to the colour of the woman's hair.

 

[~n/t~]

Steven D'Souza ‏ @cbcsteve
Derstine finishes with witness, she is dismissed. Legal arguments beginning again, jury excused until 2:30 p.m. #sl

 

[Wondergirl]

Linda Nguyen‏@LindaNguyenPN

Derstine is now cross-examining his witness. He is reading out a statement she gave to police on May 26, 2009

 

[CarrieBean]

So what now? Closing statements after lunch?

 

[Bravo]

But if TLM told MR she was babysitting and was going "into" the school to get TS, why would MR park so far away from the school? If I was driving someone to pick up a child they were "babysitting" i would park right up front, or where all the other pick ups were waiting...

Exactly and if there is a Juror buying into this i would hope these questions would be bantered. What is reasonable and believable. That TLM was so sick and twisted she would walk right into a school to snatch a child while poor innocent MTR waited outside per her instruction and was just a shocked horrified duped chauffeur.

 

[Wondergirl]

*THUD*

(All I can say)

 

[Dmman]

His defense, or lack of one, surprises me almost as much as all those girlfriends & the escort! I wasn't sure what we would hear today...but I was expecting quite a bit more than this. So this is what MR has been waiting for his day in court for? To present hostile Grandmom as his witness?!

 

[Oldsoul2]

But if TLM told MR she was babysitting and was going "into" the school to get TS, why would MR park so far away from the school? If I was driving someone to pick up a child they were "babysitting" i would park right up front, or where all the other pick ups were waiting...

IMO regardless of whether or not this jury believes TLM to be bold enough to go inside the school (which I don't think she did) and tell MR she was babysitting and take her to the woods and kill her over a "debt" that wasn't paid, which IMO she would hold unto her until she got the money out of Tara and MR was just there but lied about it and was mortified but helped clean up, visited her in detention, hugging and stroking her hair, lied when confronted and never went to the cops in the first place, the point here, besides this theory sounding <modsnip> IMO toppled by evidence that does not support this theory, this testimony is irrelevant IMO, useless waste of time. IMO IF these jurors take a look at what they would do in that situation, he is going away for a very long time. IMO <modsnip>.

 

[~n/t~]

So what now? Closing statements after lunch?

Hope so! Hope they can end today and start deliberations but I doubt it. Derstine will probably want more time.

 

[Wondergirl]

Avery Moore&#8207;@AveryFreeFMNews

Defence's witness is excused. Jury is given a long lunch so that laywers can deal with some legal issues.

 

[~n/t~]

Avery Moore &#8207; @AveryFreeFMNews
Defence's witness is excused. Jury is given a long lunch so that laywers can deal with some legal issues.

 

[tygomuk]

I doubt Derstine will have people flocking to his door for defense. But then again, it is difficult to defend a guilty person. MOO!

Apparently not in Orlando...

 

[Hello_Kitty]

eyewitnesses can be unreliable. It has nothing to do with their personal credibility.. it has to do with seeing something with your eyes and being able to recall details.

I have not seen derogatory comments. If there have been please alert. It has been stated that she is a grandmother.


Just because she says she saw TLM walk in the school does not mean that 100% TLM walked into the school. The witness also said she was not carrying anything but in the video TLM was carrying a purse.

moo

Witness also said she thought it was TS's mother, and said she was one bus length away, then two bus length away. She isn't really a credible witness, she is too confused about what she saw.