DOWN.
MS. WEBSTER-O'KEEFE: YOUR HONOR, IF I MAY TAKE ONE MOMENT.
THE COURT: MR. MOOTS, DO YOU HAVE FURTHER EVIDENCE?
MS. WEBSTER-O'KEEFE: IF I MAY HAVE ONE MORE MOMENT, YOUR HONOR, I WOULD LIKE TO RECALL MS. VAN KEUREN TO THE WITNESS STAND FOR A QUESTION.
DEBRA VANKEUREN,
CALLED AS A WITNESS ON BEHALF OF THE DEFENDANT, HAVING BEEN PREVIOUSLY DULY SWORN BY THE CLERK TO TELL THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, CONTINUED AND TESTIFIED ON HER OATH AS FOLLOWS:
THE CLERK: YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN SWORN AND ARE STILL UNDER OATH. CT Page 6253
THE WITNESS: THANK YOU.
REDIRECT EXAMINATION BY MS. WEBSTER-O'KEEFE:
Q MS. VAN KEUREN, DO YOU RECALL HOW LONG YOU WERE IN CHAMBERS WHILE THIS CONVERSATION WAS TAKING PLACE?
A I WOULD SAY FIVE TO TEN MINUTES.
Q THAT IS HOW LONG THE CONVERSATION TOOK PLACE?
A YES.
Q THANK YOU.
MS. WEBSTER-O'KEEFE: NO OTHER QUESTIONS.
THE COURT: MR. MOOTS.
RECROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. MOOTS:
Q WHAT TIME DID YOU GET INTO THE JUDGE'S CHAMBERS?
A I WOULD - AROUND TWO O'CLOCK.
Q DO YOU RECALL WHAT TIME WE STARTED PROCEEDINGS THAT DAY?
A NO. I BELIEVE WHAT TIME WE WERE SUPPOSED TO - AND ACTUALLY, I RECALL WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BACK AT FIVE TO, AND THERE WERE CONVERSATIONS TAKING PLACE IN THE HALLWAY WITH ATTORNEYS AND THEIR CLIENTS. SO I AM SURE IT WAS AFTER TWO SO -
Q IT IS YOUR TESTIMONY THAT THE CONVERSATION THAT TOOK
PLACE BETWEEN DR. KANE AND JUDGE PICKETT WAS FIVE TO TEN MINUTES IN LENGTH?
A YES, I DO RECALL THAT BEING -
Q AND THAT THERE WAS NOBODY ELSE IN CHAMBERS?
A THAT IS HOW I RECALL IT. CT Page 6254
MR. MOOTS: NOTHING ELSE, YOUR HONOR.
(WHEREUPON, COLLOQUY DISCUSSION OCCURRED, AND THE FOLLOWING TOOK PLACE.)
THE COURT: WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE MOST IMPORTANT EVIDENCE THAT IS BEFORE THE COURT IS THE FACT THAT YOUR PARALEGAL ALMOST VERBATIM RELATED THE TESTIMONY OF DR. KANE. NOW, FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, SHE HAD TO BE IN THE ROOM DURING THE ENTIRE TIME THE CONVERSATION TOOK PLACE. SHE DIDN'T COME IN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CONVERSATION IF SHE KNOWS WHAT THE ENTIRE CONVERSATION WAS, AND SO THERE WAS NO EX PARTE, AS I INTERPRET IT, AND SHE WAS THERE AT ALL TIMES.
LIKEWISE, NOW, NOT ONLY AS A JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT, BUT AS AN OFFICER OF THE I KNOW THAT THE DOOR WAS OPEN BECAUSE, OTHERWISE, DR. KANE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE AND NEITHER WOULD THE PARALEGAL BECAUSE NOBODY COMES IN UNLESS THEY KNOCK AND I SAY "COME IN," AND IF THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE ON THE CASE, I WOULD WAIT AND SAY, "IS EVERYBODY READY, COME ON IN," AND BECAUSE WE ARE USING, AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, AND ESPECIALLY TODAY THIS COURTHOUSE IS OVERCROWDED MOST OF THE TIME, AND THE TRIAL IS TAKING PLACE IN CHAMBERS, I LEFT THE DOOR OPEN SO WHEN PEOPLE CAME BACK FROM LUNCH, THEY