Kathy E <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: The defense for Suzanne Johnson closed its case by calling Johnson's daughter, Cindy Vaughan, to the stand. She tearfully told jurors that her mother was a wonderful caretaker who would never hurt a child. In fact, Johnson helped Vaughan raise her own child. According to Vaughan, she never saw her mother angry with an infant. She also said Johnson told her she was concerned about Jasmine Miller because she thought the infant was not eating enough. But, said Vaughan, her mother never told her she was angry or being driven nuts. Vaughan related how when she was on the phone with her mother, she could hear Jasmine crying, and Johnson would try to console her by calling her "sweetie," "honey," and rocking her. Vaughan believed that Johnson loved Jasmine. Vaughan also said Johnson was very calm and would take charge when confronted with a stressful situation, and gave an example of how Johnson handled an infant who suffered a seizure while in her care. However, after Vaughan's testimony, the state presented two rebuttal witnesses to describe a 1993 incident where a young child in Johnson's care had a fractured arm. James Wilkins of the County child protection service agency told jurors that a little girl in Johnson's care had a fractured arm in 1993. However, it was never determined whether the injury actually occurred at Johnson's house. The investigation was inconclusive. Sue Tyner, a daycare licensing consultant for the State of California, also testified about the 1993 fractured arm incident. She described her interview with Johnson at the time, where Johnson said the child had not been herself when she arrived at her house that day. Tyner reiterated that the investigation was inconclusive. The parents of this little girl testified today, I'll put what they said in tomorrow summary, another witness was also called today, a policewoman who use to let Johnson watch her child, she took her out of Johnson's daycare when she felt Johnson wasn't feeding her, example she would give her milk (she breast fed) and a change of clothes and necessities for a baby, when she would go to pick her baby up, she would get the same amount of milk back, and Johnson would tell her the baby slept all day and didn't want to eat. Yet that is part of tomorrow's summary, I'll get into more detail in that summary. The state's rebuttal case concluded today and the judge gave the jury his instructions on what they are to consider, (2nd degree murder is the most they can find her guilty of), closing arguments are Tuesday. -- Kathy E "I can only please one person a day, today is NOT your day, and tomorrow isn't looking too good for you either" http://members.delphi.com/kathylaw/ Law & Issues Mailing List http://pw1.netcom.com/~kathye/rodeo.html - Cowboy Histories http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/2990/law.htm Crime photo's Subscribe/Unsubscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the body of the message enter: subscribe/unsubscribe law-issues
