Opinion ID: 1791
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Daniel Lamont's Testimony

Text: Daniel Lamont, who is legally deaf and testified with the aid of a qualified sign language interpreter, essentially corroborated Higdon's testimony. Lamont, a friend of Higdon, was also living in the Clark Street apartment in April 2002 and was present at the apartment when the fight occurred. Lamont testified that Higdon had been at the apartment earlier in the day but had left for a period of time in the evening. While he was gone, the police came to the apartment with Ceruti in search of Higdon but left when they determined that he was not there. Some time after the police had left, Higdon returned to the apartment and noticed English sitting on the pull-out bed. Higdon approached English and had a brief conversation with him. Higdon then turned, walked to Ceruti, and began asking if he could stay for a few extra days. [6] Higdon had his hands in his pockets during this conversation. According to Lamont, Higdon did not have a knife on his person. Eventually, English got up, walked over to Higdon, and stabbed him with a knife. [7] Higdon and English then struggled over the knife before English pulled another knife and slashed at Higdon with it. Higdon then escaped to a bedroom, and English stood outside the room, telling Higdon to come out of the room so that they could continue to fight. Lamont also testified that while Higdon was in the bedroom, English and Ceruti had a brief conversation that ended in Ceruti grabbing a knife from the kitchen and throwing it on the floor near the bedroom where Higdon was hiding. Lamont also claimed that he received threats from both Ceruti and English before trial about his testimony. At the preliminary examination, Lamont testified that Ceruti asked him to change his story. At the trial, Lamont testified that two days after the preliminary examination, Ceruti and English both approached Lamont, accused him of allowing Higdon into the apartment on the night of the fight, attempted to take his keys, and pushed and shoved him. According to Lamont, English eventually said that Lamont was not worth it and let him go.