The Trial: The Story Continues...

From my personal journal....

2/3/93

Although we only spend five hours, more or less, in the courtroom, everybody is feeling pretty fatigued toward the end of the day. Today we listened to the testimony of Deborah Rivers, a police civilian evidence tech; former captain Smith of OPD, (and) police evidence tech Hutchinson. These three people describe the events of 7/27/89, the techs (delving) into precise detail.

Hutchinson the gathering of evidence, physical and photographic, from the scene of Raymond August's final resting place in his Prelude. He took photos of the skid marks, the place on the 35th Street overpass pillar that the Prelude struck, the interior and exterior of the Prelude and the Blazer, and one shell casing found on the freeway. Some contention arises between the defense and the prosecution when the DA tries to get Hutchinson to interpret the blood spatter pattern on the Prelude windshield. The problem seems to be, only my opinion, maybe the defense wants us to believe that somebody else did the shooting or what? Jeez, I really don't know if they want us to think maybe Stokes did it or if it's a tactic to cloud the issue.

Captain Smith detailed his capture of Stevens, identifying him in the courtroom and identifying the weapon that fell out of Stevens' jacket. There was no real challenge to his testimony, only how long it took him to get from 14th (Avenue) and 35th (Street) to the overpass. Why? The details, as I've written them, were really immediate and exciting when listening to Smith tell them. It's only day two, but there's a hell of a lot of evidence already mounting up against this guy.

Rivers was the tech that that secured and collected evidence from the westbound 35th ramp. She collected the gun, clips and ammo. She photographed the interior of the RX7, showing a spent casing and a live round, .357 Mag load. She also notices scratch marks along the driver side of the RX7, consistent with glass shattering against the car.

It's eerie to project myself into that scene: the Mazda pulling up beside the Prelude, shots ringing out, the car skidding across the road, striking the center divide, pinballing across into the concrete abutment head-on, the driver probably already dead before the car stops skidding. The interior of the Prelude is showered with blood and brain tissue, Meanwhile the RX7 circles around and stops to watch. I will be objective, but it is really asking a lot of me.

I think I'll go to the library tomorrow and check out a book, just to distract me from this when I can.

The Oakland Public Library is just steps away from the courthouse and I take full advantage of my library cards privileges. Sometimes I walk around Lake Merritt. On one of the first days we jurors are packed into an elevator, descending to ground level to go out for lunch. The doors open on floor 4 and there are all three defense attorneys. We all stare at each other for a moment before Mr. Selvin says: "We'll wait for the next one...." Good idea!

More later.