5.Sara Newhouse — Direct/Cross
76 linesJUDGE EVERETT: You are released.
Please call your next witness.
MR. ZELMAN: Just a moment, Your Honor.
The Defense would call Sarah Newhouse.
JUDGE EVERETT: Please come up to the witness stand.
Please raise your right hand, ma'am.
whereupon, SARAH NEWHOUSE was called as a witness, having been first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:
JUDGE EVERETT: You can take your seat. Please speak loudly and clearly.
You may examine.
MR. ZELMAN: Thank you, Your Honor.
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. ZELMAN:
MR. ZELMAN: Good afternoon.
SARA NEWHOUSE: Good afternoon.
MR. ZELMAN: Can you please introduce yourself to the jury?
SARA NEWHOUSE: Yes. My name is Sarah Newhouse, and I am currently the behavioral wellness coordinator for the police department. Back in 2014, I was the victim advocate.
MR. ZELMAN: You were a victim advocate for the Tallahassee Police Department?
SARA NEWHOUSE: Yes, sir.
MR. ZELMAN: And in your role as a victim advocate, what does that entail when you worked for the police department?
SARA NEWHOUSE: Typically, it's following up with victims that are victims of crime, usually persons crimes, homicides, suicides, sexual batteries, domestic violence, things of that nature. And it's providing support, kind of being a middle person between them and the police investigation team.
MR. ZELMAN: And in that role as a victim advocate, were you working on July 18th of 2014?
SARA NEWHOUSE: Yes, I was.
MR. ZELMAN: Did you have occasion to get assigned to be the victim advocate for wendi Adelson?
SARA NEWHOUSE: Yes, I did.
MR. ZELMAN: And were you present for the vast majority of her interview with law enforcement?
SARA NEWHOUSE: I was.
MR. ZELMAN: Were you also present when Wendi Adelson called her mother, Donna Adelson, towards the end of that interview?
SARA NEWHOUSE: I was.
MR. ZELMAN: And did you have an opportunity to listen to the portion of the interview where wendi Adelson called her mother?
SARA NEWHOUSE: I did.
MR. ZELMAN: And I'm going to show you what is marked for identification purposes as Defense 71.
Did you have an opportunity to listen to this exhibit?
SARA NEWHOUSE: I did.
MR. ZELMAN: And is the portion of the recording a true and accurate reflection of what you remember from July 18th of 2014, when wendi Adelson called her mother?
SARA NEWHOUSE: It is.
MR. ZELMAN: when you -- when wendi Adelson called her mother, do you recall Donna Adelson's reaction to being told that Dan Markel had been shot?
SARA NEWHOUSE: Yes.
MR. ZELMAN: Did this upset her?
SARA NEWHOUSE: She sounded shocked, I guess, would be the word that you'd say.
MR. ZELMAN: And it appeared that this was the first time she was hearing about it?
SARA NEWHOUSE: Yes.
MR. ZELMAN: And did she make any statements that you could hear from where you were sitting?
SARA NEWHOUSE: I don't recall if I could hear other than reviewing the video, but it sounded like a normal amount of upset given a crisis situation.
MR. ZELMAN: Your Honor, at this point in time, I would move into evidence Defense 71.
JUDGE EVERETT: Any objection?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Judge, I haven't reviewed this exact item, but based on what the Defense has represented to me is on there, I don't have an objection. I do want to review it on the break and reserve the right to object.
So subject to that, no objection.
JUDGE EVERETT: A lot of qualifications.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Well, there's just --
JUDGE EVERETT: Members of the jury, we're going to take a brief break. The bailiff will take you to the jury room.
(Jury exits courtroom.)
JUDGE EVERETT: You can be seated. If anyone needs to stretch their legs or use the restroom, please do it now.
You have an objection to raise?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Yes.
JUDGE EVERETT: Speak.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: It includes wendi Adelson saying, this is the worst day of my life, before the call connects, and then it includeds the witness telling Ms. Adelson she did an awesome job on the call after the call disconnects. So I would object to those two comments. I understand they don't intend to publish it right now. So subject to those objections, no objection to the exhibit once those things are removed.
JUDGE EVERETT: Mr. Zelman?
MR. ZELMAN: As I indicated to Ms. Dugan when Ms. Cappleman was watching it, I've got to remember how I snipped it, but I don't have a problem removing the comment before and the comment after before we publish it to the jury.
JUDGE EVERETT: As to that, Defense 71 will be admitted. The proper redactions will need to be made.
You can bring back in the jurors.
(Jury in courtroom.)
JUDGE EVERETT: Everyone can be seated.
Defense 71 is admitted at this time.
(Defense Exhibit 71 received in evidence.)
JUDGE EVERETT: You may continue with your examination.
MR. ZELMAN: No further questions for this witness, Your Honor.
JUDGE EVERETT: Cross-examination?
CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MS. CAPPLEMAN:
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Did you hear any weeping or wailing going on at the other end of the phone during this phone call?
SARA NEWHOUSE: Not that I recall, no.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Did you know Donna Adelson?
SARA NEWHOUSE: No.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Have you ever met her?
SARA NEWHOUSE: No.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: So you don't know what her normal demeanor is like?
SARA NEWHOUSE: Correct, I don't.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. But Wendi Adelson, her daughter, presumably does know?
SARA NEWHOUSE: Correct.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: And do you remember wendi Adelson making the comment after that phone call that she handled that well?
MR. ZELMAN: Objection, Your Honor. That's hearsay, and that's exactly what was asked to be removed from the recording.
JUDGE EVERETT: Please sit down.
As to the hearsay, sustained.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No further questions.
JUDGE EVERETT: Redirect?
MR. ZELMAN: No, Your Honor, but move to strike the question from Ms. Cappleman.
JUDGE EVERETT: Members of the jury, you are to disregard the last question of the prosecutor. It is to be struck from the record. You may step down.
will the witness be recalled?
MR. ZELMAN: No, Your Honor.