Wecht Week One Wrap-Up
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This morning, the second in what's expected to be 10 weeks in the trial against Dr. Cyril Wecht is scheduled to get underway.
The jury actually had a three day weekend, and from what the press has been told, it'll be that way every week. For the most part, Judge Arthur Schwab has been starting testimony between 8:30 and 9 am, and usually wrapping up before 4 PM Monday-Thursday. It's a long day for the jury because those six men and six women have so much information to
process from each of the witnesses, pieces of evidence and other discussion in court.
In case you missed it, here's some of what went down during the first week of the trial:
-Many people who used to work for Dr Wecht took the stand to talk about other duties outside of their job requirements they were asked to perform. Among the most memorable stories of the week was a man who said he was asked to pick up hot dogs for a political fundraiser for Dr Wecht's son, David. There was an event being held on the North Shore to give out free lunch in the hopes people would vote for David.
Problem was, the original hot dog vendor didn't show up on time, so this employee used the county van to go to the store and buy as many hot dogs as he could. The meat was transported in the same vehicle used to pick up bodies. However, it was determined there wasn't a health risk because the meat was pre-wrapped and kept on the front passenger seat.
-Other employees talked about making trips to downtown theaters, either to pick up tickets, or chauffeur Dr. Wecht and his family to shows. There were also many trips to the airport, according to more than one worker, who said they would meet Dr Wecht, and he'd drive to Pittsburgh International before turning the keys to the vehicle over to the employee, who would then drive back to the Medical Examiner's office.
-Some employees say these errands took away from what they were supposed to be doing, others said the work was getting done...just not by them. One woman told the jury how she was supposed to be investigating a death but was told the body wasn't going anywhere, and so she needed to complete a task for Dr Wecht. Employees told the jury how they would run the errands out of fear of the consequences, like having their hours changed or losing their job.
-Still, when some where asked, they said they enjoyed working for Dr. Wecht. At least one employee called him "A good man".
The final day of testimony was Thursday. The jury was treated to cake. Judge Schwab told the dozen people who will make the eventual call in the case, that at the end of each month, dessert would be brought in for them. We're not sure why this is, or where court is getting the cake, but I'm working on finding out.
Now, week two gets underway and an important witness is expected to take the stand first thing. I can't tell you his name because the US Attorney's office doesn't want it made public. So here's what I can say about him.
He's a well-known pathologist who has worked alongside Dr Wecht on the investigations such as the death of former Pittsburgh Steeler, Terry Long. The Pathologist has also been used as a witness in about 100 other court cases, and is able to determine how people died through examining their brain.
Stay tuned to Newsradio 1020 KDKA for the latest in the Dr. Cyril Wecht trial. If you have a question or comment about the case, send it to mleaf@kdka.com . I'll do my best to get an answer for you. |
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