A Drastic change in pace from yesterday’s court proceedings.
Officers Saldutte, Ewing and Sisak arrived early in their tax payer funded undercover police vehicle drop off, and being whisked away past security, The Miles family humbly entering the courthouse, and going through security.
Limited seating was available in Juge Cercone’s courtroom as dozens of MIles supporters packed the courtroom as well as stood watch outside the courthouse holding signs reading “We Stand with Jordan Miles.”
The first witness called this morning was Therez Miles, Jordan’s Mother.
Therez would testify to being a lifelong resident of Homewood, How she was verbally, sexually and physically abused early on in life, but would make a humble life for herself. She would testify that despite the defense’s contention, she found her neighborhood in Homewood to be a safe one.
Therez inform the jury that before his altercation with the officers, Jordan loved music. He loved to play his viola….The same viola he would once use to play for the first lady Michelle Obama during Pittsburgh’s G20 Summit.
Therez shared with the courtroom that Jordan had plans to go to college when he graduated high school, that he was a very religious teen, well loved and respected by many.
Following the incident with police, Miss Miles would tell the jury that Jordan rarely plays his Viola anymore, which makes his family sad. Jordan doesn’t go to church much or even read his bible anymore, that he is withdrawn from family and friends, and spends the majority of his time alone in his room. She described how Jordan dropped out of college due to anxiety and depression, that once he couldn’t wait to get out on his own, but after the altercation with Sisak, Ewing, and Saldutte, Jordan became homesick.
She further testified that Jordan was proud of his dreadlocks, prompting Judge Cercone to make a joke that he too once had dreadlocks bringing laughter throughout the courtroom. She described how it was like a death in the family, when she had to shave off Jordan’s dreadlocks because of the large bald spot where hair on Jordan’s head once was. (Officers ripped out Jordan’s hair during their assault on him) Therez was in tears as she described shaving off Jordan’s hair.
Therez would continue to testify that Jordan Miles’ preferred drinks of choice were Juice of any kind, tea, iced tea, lemonade, and water. She didn’t purchase soda, nor raised her children to drink soda.
She would tell jurors that since the first trial, Jordan had tried going back to college a second time at Penn State Beaver Campus, but due to second trial preparations, and not being able to see doctors he normally could when home, Jordan took another break from school.
Defense attorneys spend a good amount of time asking Therez Miles how she raised her son.
Ewing’s Attorney, Robert Leight before he began, Commended Miss Miles on her life, and overcoming all the adversity in her life.
Leight would begin to question Jordan’s mother on Jordan’s birthday party on January 11, 2012, the coat Jordan’s grandmother had gotten him. (the same coat Miles was wearing when beaten by police.)
Leight would also question Therez about a supposed path that lead from 7958 Tioga street that could be walked to Susquehanna street where her mother lived.
Miss Miles would inform Leight that the FBI report may have been mistaken, to which Leight sarcastically remarked, ‘Oh, the FBI report may have misquoted you?….There’s alot of that going on in this case.” (referring to all 3 defendants claiming the FBI report and OMI report has misquoted them several times in their investigations.”
Attorney James Wymard following the lunch break would spend 12 minutes asking Therez Miles literally the same questions she had answered for attorney Robert Leight, A visibly annoyed Joel Sansone objecting prompting a scolding from Judge Cercone to the defense.
Wymard found interest in jordan’s birthday party asking what day and time the party was, and then brought up Jamiah Anderson’s testimony about being on a triple date with Miles on January 11, 2012. Wymard further went on to accuse either Therez MIles or Jamiah of lying on the stand regarding where and what Jordan was doing the night before his birthday.
Attorney Bryan Campbell provided the laughs of the day, by trying to introduce the infamous BULKY J photo from the first trial, a photo of Jordan Miles looking good and in shape after working out for months. Folllowing an immediate objection from the plaintiff’s and Cercone not allowing the photo, a defeated Bryan Campbell sat down after a 30 second cross examination attempt, a defeated man.Dr. Maria Twichell was called as the final witness of the day to testify to the extent of Jordan’s head injuries. She offered no new testimony from her appearance at the first trial.(insert he testimony from first trial)
Jordan Miles will testify tomorrow. Attorneys Joel Sansone and Robert Giroux are expected to rest tomorrow, with the defense beginning to present their case Thursday afternoon.
