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To Day 3
By Jamila Levi
I attended the trial of John Voitas on Tuesday, Nov. 5. I missed the first witnesses of the morning, but got there in time to hear Doris Kramer (police dispatcher from Brentwood), followed by Frank Belajak (tow truck driver), Ray Seals, Timothy Burns ( law student who was driving by the scene) and Dr. Shakir, who did the autopsy.
Whats most outstanding to me watching this so- called trial is that the half-assed prosecution. Theyre obviously just going thru the motions. They ask questions that lead no where and whats most important is what they dont ask. At one point I observed the defense attorney exchanging a look with one of the the alternate jurors. Please get down there if you possibly can, and observe how the prosecution is not really trying to prosecute. Its maddening to see John Vojtas sitting there in a business suit when he should be in an orange jump shoot and chains, and its heartbreaking to see the Gammage family listening to the testimony and think about what theyre going thru.
The autopsy testimony sounded so sterile, unlike the report from Richard Lyons - yet it testifies to a brutal beating and death that couldnt possibly have been accidental. I didnt hear Belajak testify at the first trial so I couldnt compare his testimony then with now but he was back and he stated very clearly he saw the beating. He comes across as very honest. One can only hope that at least some members of the all-white jury have the sense to see what really took place here, because the prosecution is doing its damndest to minimize the impact of incriminating testimony.