Mock Trial Testimony Flashcards

1
Q

Can you state your first and last name for the record?

A

Richard Adamson

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2
Q

What is your occupation?

A

-Pennsylvania State Trooper

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3
Q

How long have you been a state trooper?

A

Almost 24 years

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4
Q

What troop are you currently in?

A
  • Troop B
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5
Q

Where are you based out of?

A
  • Waynie township
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6
Q

What does that job entail?

A

I am a detective, meaning after a crime has occurred, I will go out to conduct interviews and investigate the crime in an effort to successfully solve it and prosecute the perpetrator

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7
Q

What is your educational background?

A

-I attended Waynesburg University where I obtained a Bachelors degree in criminal justice

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8
Q

Do you have any special training or certifications?

A
  • Yes I have attended the state police academy, obtained a pressure points control tactics certifications, Taser usage certification, Advanced firearms usage certification, Advanced ground tactics certification, and I’m certified to instruct use of force classes.
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9
Q

Where did you attend the police academy?

A
  • The State Police Academy in Hershey, PA
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10
Q

How Many times have you been called to testify in court?

A
  • More times than I can remember over twenty four years
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11
Q

How many homicides have you investigated?

A

-This would be my fifth murder trial

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12
Q

Were you on duty for the Pennsylvania State Police on the morning of May 13, 2013?

A

Yes

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13
Q

What are your usual duties as a Detective?

A

-I obtain my assignments from a superior officer and investigate different crimes

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14
Q

What was your shift that morning?

A

7:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.

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15
Q

What happened when you arrived at the barracks?

A
  • I was shown a photo of Donald Defendant and told to go to 1313 Mockingbird Lane
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16
Q

What happened when you got to 1313 Mockingbird Lane?

A

When I arrived Trooper Blue briefed me on the situation and told me that Defendant lived at 21 Downing Street.

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17
Q

What did you do next?

A

Left for 21 Downing Street

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18
Q

Who was with you?

A

Officers Flanigan, Write, and Blue

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19
Q

What Time did you arrive?

A

7:50 A.M.

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20
Q

What occurred once you were there?

A

The Blue Dodge Dynasty and Nike tennis shoes that troopers Wright and Black had observed were no longer there and Defendant was not there.

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21
Q

What happened next?

A

I was approached by Chris Sharkady, a neighbor of Defendants.

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22
Q

What did he tell you?

A

That shortly after all our troopers left the residence that he observed Defendant go back into the house, come out with a black duffle bag that he put in his car, and leave.

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23
Q

Then what?

A

I issued a Be On the Look Out for Defendant

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24
Q

Can you explain for us what a “Be On the Look Out” is?

A

A “Be On the Look Out” is instructions for all officers to keep an eye out for a particular person, in this case it was Defendant.

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25
Q

What did you do next?

A

I left the residence

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26
Q

Then what?

A

At 8:35 A.M. I was advised that Defendant had returned to his home and was being held in handcuffs by Trooper White and Corporal Brown

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27
Q

What did you do next?

A

I went back to 21 Downing Street

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28
Q

Then What?

A

I released him from the cuffs and he agreed to come with me to the PSP Barracks for questioning.

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29
Q

Did you remove the handcuffs completely?

A

Yes

30
Q

Why?

A

He was willing to come with me without resistance

31
Q

Was the defendant under arrest?

A

No

32
Q

Did you interview the defendant?

A

Yes

33
Q

Was anyone with you during the interview?

A

Yes

34
Q

Who?

A

Trooper Orange

35
Q

Did the defendant receive Miranda warnings?

A

No

36
Q

Why not?

A

He was not under arrest

37
Q

Did he cooperate with you?

A

Yes

38
Q

Was he aware he was not under arrest?

A

Yes, he was he was given full liberties during the interview

39
Q

What type of questions were asked?

A

I asked him about his relationship with Victim, Various PFA’s, Custody issues, Victims irrational behavior and her admission into a mental health facility, hunting, and weightlifting.

40
Q

What did he say about Victoria Victim?

A

He said he last saw her at her place of employment on Mother’s Day 2013

41
Q

What did you ask next?

A
  • I asked him about the duffle bag and shoes his neighbor said he saw him take from his home. He denied the action.
42
Q

What did he say next?

A

-He denied calling his girlfriend for a ride that morning

43
Q

Then what did you ask?

A
  • I asked if he had been to 1313 Mockingbird Lane that morning and confronted or assaulted Victim.
44
Q

What did Defendant say?

A

-He walked to the window and stared outside, he asked for a cigarette, and then asked if he was being charged

45
Q

What did you say?

A
  • I told him Charging decisions were up to the district attorney.
46
Q

What did Defendant say next?

A

-He told me that in the morning he had gone to Sunoco to buy some juice.

47
Q

What did Defendant say when you mentioned David Decedent?

A
  • He stated that he did not know him.
48
Q

Did he tell you anything else?

A
  • He told me that he possessed a .30-06, a .38 caliber revolver, a crossbow, and a compound bow
49
Q

Did he ever ask about his son, Victor Victim?

A
  • He did not
50
Q
  • He did not
A

Yes

51
Q

What happened next?

A

I was informed that Rebecca Pawlikowsky, the defendant’s girlfriend, gave a statement to the police

52
Q

What did this statement say?

A

That at approximately 6:15 A.M. she had picked up defendant on the highway near where victims body had been found, and that he was wearing a black tank-top, camouflage pants, and green shows. He was carrying a balled up coat. At approximately 7:20 A.M. Defendant arrived at her home with a black duffle bag and green shoes, and took her garbage out for pickup.

53
Q

Then what happened?

A
  • I was informed that Victoria Victim’s body had been found in a vehicle on Yellow Brick Road
54
Q

At what time?

A
  • 2:00 P.M.
55
Q

Did you tell the defendant?

A

Yes

56
Q

What was his response?

A

-He put his face in his hands and said “I’ll get whoever did this to her”

57
Q

Did he seem upset?

A

He did not show much emotion

58
Q

What happened next?

A

-I found a variety of inconsistencies in his statement

59
Q

What kind of inconsistencies?

A

He denied taking a black bag or shoes from his house. After being informed of victims body, he said he took a bag of marijuana and green shoes to burn and destroy it. He denied calling his girlfriend for a ride. After he was informed of Pawlikowsky statement, he said he was turkey hunting in the morning and she picked him up after he was done hunting. He did not answer when asked if he entered 1313 mockingbird lane and confronted or killed Victim, instead he just looked out the interview room window and was only concerned about being charged. He also stated that he did not know David Decedent.

60
Q

Was there anything else?

A

Yes, he told troopers that he had gone to Sunoco to get juice on the morning of 5/13/13. Upon questioning the manager of Sunoco, Amanda Jurr, she told me that Defendant was not in the store on the morning of 5/13/2013.

61
Q

What happened next?

A

-At 3:03 P.M. Corporal Smith gave me a warrant for suspect collection on Defendant

62
Q

What was included in the suspect collection?

A
  • Fingerprints, Nail clippings, hair from his head, and pubic hair
63
Q

What happened next?

A
  • Defendant made numerous cell phone calls while at the barracks, but at 3:38 P.M. the defendant took a cell phone call and informed me that an attorney would call on his behalf. Shortly thereafter Attorney Gambini arrived with Ronnie skinner. They both spent several hours with the defendant.
64
Q

Who is Ronnie Skinner?

A

-The Defendants Uncle

65
Q

What was the next action you took?

A

-At 7:00 P.M. I informed the defendant that he was being arrested and charged with the homicides of Victoria Victim and David Decedent, one count of abuse of a corpse, and one count of tampering with physical evidence.

66
Q

What happened on May 16, 2013?

A

-I was informed that Defendant had made a phone call from Waynie County Correctional Facility.

67
Q

What did you do after hearing this?

A

-I immediately went to the facility to listen to the call

68
Q

Who was the call to?

A

-Ronnie Skinner, the Defendants Uncle

69
Q

Did you listen to the call?

A

Yes

70
Q

What time did you listen to the call?

A

-About 10:15 A.M.

71
Q

How did the conversation go between the defendant and his uncle?

A

-The defendant told Skinner to go to Waynie Auto body where he stored his Dodge Shadow and that there was money in the car in envelopes. He said he needed that money to pay his attorney.

72
Q

What happened next?

A
  • At approximately 10:35 A.M. I informed Corporal Smith of my findings and she obtained a search warrant at my request for the Dodge Shadow