Mock Trial Direct

Question 1

Please state your name and occupation for the court.

Answer 1

Terry Tatio

Medical toxicologist

Question 2

What is a medical toxicologist?

Answer 2

A specialist that focuses on the diagnosis, management and prevention of poisoning

Question 3

Tell the court, briefly, about your educational background, please.

Answer 3

Graduated SCL from university of Maryland of Med school

Masters in public health

Question 4

How long have you been working as a medical toxicologist ?

Answer 4

40 years

Question 5

Your Honor, the defense asks to have Terry Tatio admitted as an expert witness in medical toxicology.

Question 6

As a toxicologist, are you familiar with environmental lead exposure and lead poisoning?

Answer 6

Yes. Certainly.

Question 7

What exactly is lead poisoning?

Answer 7

When someone is exposed - usually over an extended period of time - to excessive amounts of lead, it builds up in their blood and other organ tissues and it can eventually reach dangerous, or toxic, levels which can have various detrimental health effects. That’s what we call lead poisoning.

Question 8

How is lead poisoning diagnosed?

Answer 8

A simple blood test is the easiest way. We define lead poisoning based on blood lead levels, although the exact threshold has varied widely over the last few decades. There’s really no consensus about what amount of lead is safe and when it becomes dangerous.

Question 9

What do you mean ‘safe’ levels of lead? Is there such a thing?

Answer 9

Yes. We’re exposed to lead in our everyday environment. It’s even found in some foods. We call that normal level of lead exposure a “background lead level”, and it’s nothing to be concerned about.

Question 10

So why do we hear so much about lead poisoning these days?

Answer 10

In my opinion, Way too over exaggerated

Lead is the new culprit for everything that goes wrong

Question 11

Why do you think is being too exaggerated?

Answer 11

There is no exact disease of lead poisoning - only certain symptoms that can indicate it - so parents who want something to blame for their childs’ problems often go to lead poisoning when there are usually much more obvious reasons for whatever the problems are.

Question 12

As you know, we’re here because of allegations of unsafe drinking water - due to lead - in the CSPS system. Are you familiar with these allegations?

Answer 12

Yes.

Question 13

Have you had the opportunity to review the State’s evidence and witness statements?

Answer 13

Yes.

Question 14

What can you tell us about lead in the drinking water at CSPS?

Answer 14

They went through a voluntary testing program in 2010.
Fountains had elevated lead levels but none of the students had lead poisoning
The testing at CSPS even compared with students in other schools

Question 15

But the school system switched to bottled water shortly after. Why?

Answer 15

I can’t explain it. I know there was public concern over the handful of schools with slightly elevated levels, but there was no real medical or scientifically sound cause for concern.

Question 16

Even if the concerns were unfounded, wouldn’t bottled water alleviate them?

Answer 16

Not really. Bottled water is no solution. I am totally against it. Bottled water is 25% tap anyway.
Toxins get into water when stored in heated places - like how they stored it in the schools.

Question 17

What about Perrier Pamukkale? He has lead poisoning, right?

Answer 17

According to his pediatrician, he did have high levels of lead in his blood, but I’ve seen no medical documentation to support that, which is surprising.
Diagnosis of learning and behavior disabilities have skyrocketed these days which can be contributed to many other causes besides lead poisoning.
Even if Perrier’s seizure could be attributed to lead poisoning, there’s no way of knowing without additional investigation what other sources of lead he might have been exposed to. Except one.

Question 18

What do you mean?

Answer 18

Well, we know that his father/mother took it upon him/herself to dry scrape the lead paint from their home. I question whether he/she is qualified in the proper techniques and procedures, let alone whether he/she had the right equipment in place to avoid creating an even greater hazard from airborne lead.

Question 19

Do you have any personal connection to Clearwater springs public schools?

Answer 19

I have 4 grandchildren who go there

Question 20

Did they have any symptoms of lead poisoning?

Answer 20

No

Question 21

Are you at all worried about your grandchildrens health being affected by the lead?

Answer 21

No

Never felt the need to protect them