Lauren Sarene Key, plunged to her death at Inspiration Point,
in Ranch Palos Verdes, CA, on November 8, 2000.
Copyright © Sarah Key-Marer, all rights reserved.
Monday, April 20, 2015
9:20 AM
When I get inside Dept. 107, counsel are discussing a letter that one of Hum's witnesses sent him over the weekend and was sent to Mr. Laub on Sunday. The letter contains new information. They are discussing what the letter says and whether or not the witness can talk about what they said in the letter.
The court states the witness can opine as to Brown's personality as she experienced it. Laub is asking for a hearing outside the presence of the jury before she gets up on the stand. The court states that if she gets on the stand and says the reason she didn't come forward with this information before, is because she was afraid of retaliation, if/when he gets out. that's acceptable to explain her state of mind.
DDA Hum argues in gang cases, that's acceptable testimony all the time. Laub argues that this isn't a gang case, the case is 15 years old and it doesn't apply.
9:43 AM
Mr. Laub is still arguing that this is beyond the issues of probative value.
The court rules that it is not only applicable to gang situations. It's applicable to any witness, to their state of mind and why they did not state this information before.
The witness is brought in. She has an older woman with her. The clerk calls for the jury, waiting in the hallway.
FREDA CLIFFORD
Sentenial, Colorado is where she lives. She's lived in CO since 1972. She knows the defendant. Identifies him. We met after high school, in the early 1980's.
We had a mutual group of friends.
After you met the defendant, did you become boyfriend and girlfriend? Yes we did. We were boyfriend and girlfriend for almost a year. 1986.
Observed him around small children? Yes I did. Observed him when a child would do something cute or adorable? He would just say, "Later." She would laugh, and find it cute? Yes I did.
I'd like you describe for us, how the defendant treated you during this relationship? What was his behavior and how he acted toward you? He was very controlling. He didn't like when I did things without him.
What are you basing that on? Court.
We ended up living in a cabin up in the mountain.s Old mining cabin at 12,000 ft. There wa a time I wansted ot go back to Denver, take a shower and see my friends. Told him I was going to go back down to Denver by myself. He didn't say anything but I could tell he wasn't happy because of his demeanor.
What happeened when you got back. He had thrown all my stuff off the cliff
Because the cabin is, First of all he told me this one arm guy in Breckenridge, was made we were living in the cabin and threw my stuff off the cliff.
Based on your coversation with siste and boyfriend, did you believe the defendants statement that this one arm guy did this? I beleived it was a lie.
The defendants stuff was not thrown off the cliff.
Only her things were thrown off the cliff.
In addition to the defendant being controlling and this example that youd given us, how else would he treat you during your relationship? She sounds emotional, I'm trying to um, can I just explai nwhat the relationsip was liek?
We started dating and moving up to that cabin. That was one incident that happened. I ended up moving back to Denver and you can't live up there 12,000 during the winter. He had an apt. in Devenr also.
She had friends she would meet. He would call and tell her he saw her at a certain place.
He would ask me if I was at a certain place because he said I saw your car there.
Had you been at those palces? Yes.
When she was at that place, did you see the defendant? No.
This happened more than once.
During the relationship, would you describe him as selfish, or giving. I would characterize him as selfish, not giving. I belive that he was manipulative. I saw him be very manipulative with his mother. He was dependent on his mother financially. I saw him manipulate her to get money.
Was he a spur of the moment or planning. He wasn't spur of the moment. He wouldn't do something unless it was somethign that he wanted to do.
Towards the end of the relationshop, did he accuse you of doing certain things to him? He would accuse me of looking at him a certain way. And I would say, what way? It was very strange.
Were there times during the reationship that you could tell the defendant was angry. I remember one incident when I was at my parents house. There was rec room down staris and he came downstaris, and I could tell he was trying to hold back anger. I could see it in his eyes. it scared me. It's just that look when they're about to... It looked like holding back anger in his eyes and body language and it was frightening.
On more than one occasion? More than one occasion.
Did the defendat ever confront you directly with his anger? Never.
I wouldn't even know that he was mad at me, prior to an incident. We would be talkdin o nthe phne of dong someth. Then I came out and found m ycar smashed in, and he admitted to doing it. the police wanted me to press charges. We had the same friends. I didn't want to be the person who got one of our friends in trouble.
Were thery other incidencs of sitations ,where rather than confronting you directly, he would go around your back and do something indirectly? yes. Did you want another example? Sure.
I came home one night, after being out with my friend, I got into my apt, and my sliding glass door is open.
Stops her from talking about this icnidned.
Were ther any other icidnece wher you saw something that was physcial evidence of the defendants anger. She saw a hold in the wall of the defendant's apartment and he admitted ot punching the wall.
The incident about the car? Can't rmember how much damange. but it was somewhere between 600 and 900. His mom wrote me a check.
She looks like, at times, she 's holding back tears. She's sniffling a bit.
Incident regards to the car, it was towards the end of the relationship. Didn't continue the relationship much longer after that. Why did it end? Because I was afraid of him.
In additon to the emotions you described for us, did you ever see the defenant exhibit other emotions? In the fall of 1986, did you learn that you were pregant? yes I did. who was the father? CAm.
I became pregnatn, I was very young, unployed, a relatioship, we hand't been dating that long, to know each other well. We both agreed to have an abortion.
What was his emotional reaction? he went with me to have the proceedure. We webt back to his apartment after and laid on the couch and listened to music, and we both cried a little and cuddled. It was, very sad.
At any oint during your entire relationship with thedefendat, did he ever confront you? Only when he said I was looking at him strange. Never confronted her directly. It was always behind her back.
Direct ends and cross begins.
10:09 AM
Jsut ot pout htis in perspective, this was the year of 1986? Correct. You were in your early mid 20's? Yes.
He was in his mid 20's. I was in my early 20's.
You were together for about a year? Almost. Explains a party, and that's when they started dating.
It sounds like for some period of time, he was a fun guy. He was fun.
And you must have thought that he was thoughtful? Thoughtful? I wouldn't call him thoughtful. I was in his life, but he was more self absorbed, selfish. I felt more like, my feelings were as important as belonging to him. I was i na relationship with him I was to be a certain way and felt a bit manipulated.
And that was okay? I was young. I was enamored with his image. He was this california guy. The idea of him.
Don't you think it was more than enamored? Lived in that cabin 12,000 ft with no elec and runnign water? I loved the outdoors. I worked in my sisters store. It was fun.
It was fun to share the outdoors with Mr. Brown? Yeah. It was.
Among this group of friend, was there someone named Bill Urban (sp?)? W'ere friends to this day.
You talked about having some things that were thrown over this cliff where you were living? Yes.
A boomb box and some clothing? Yes.
At the time did Mr. Brown tell you that he also had some things that were thrown over? I don't recall that. Adn the man he accused was named George? Yes.
He told me that he went and told the police and they came up on horseback.
Do you know if George was arrested? I was never certain that George was found or that the police ever came up on horseback.
As soon as Mr. Brown told you this George, was angry at the two of you living at the cabin, you immediately decided that Mr. brown was lying.
Living in Brekreidge at 12,000 feet. is sort of novel. You could sort of brag about it. I heard Cam multiple times, tell people I live in this cabin, there's this one arm man George. It's part of a novelty story.
I was upset aobut the incident. I went to my sisters store and told her and Bruce what happened. They said that he (George) had lost his house and they had not seen him up there and hadn't been around for years. (the one armed man).
Mr. Brown did go and get these things? Not all of them. He brought up a few.
The hole in the wall you say you saw in Mr. Brown's apartment, you blew it off as just being guy stuff? Completely.
Witness wipes her nose with a tissue.
One last thing about the abortion. You said Mr. Brown said he felt to you that it was wrong? I believe that he told me it was wrong because he thought it would change our relationship.
Cross ends and Mr. Hum asks for a sidebar.
10:20 AM
The side bar continues.
Mr. Hum has no more questions for this witness. She is excused.
Joni Dodge
JONI DODGE
Back in June of 2000, occuspation. Senior social worker for Orange County Department of Chilren's Services. Did you investigate alleged incidents of child abuse? Yes.
How long did you work for OC CS? (miss answer) Has a master's in social work. Before that, worked for the probation depart.
Worked in various departments before she became an investigator. Lists them.
Explains her training for her various assignments as an investigator. She initially shadowed another investigator for a week or two.
She investigated a case initiated by a court employee, a "mandated reporter," JAN MEULER.
They are mandated to report, whether or not they believe it to be true. It can come from other sources, such as a school teacher would call in and say that the child reported that the mother hit the child.
Or a mediator meet with a parent, connected to family court. So maybe a parent reported to a mediator, about another parent regarding abuse or neglect.
This report that you received, was it a report to Ms. Mueler, that the father of Lauren Key and made a report of physical abuse of Lauren by her mother? Yes.
Did they claim the abuse happened? June 22, 2000 was the mediation meeting. She was assigned the case the same day. It ws probably within a couple days.
Emergency response has 30 days from initiation from the start to close the case. The case was closed July 19, 2000.
Are there different categories of urgency that they, the cases they are assigned? IR. Immediate response. That would mean someone would have to be out there in two hours. NDR. Next day response. Gives example.
What's the losest level, would be no report at all. The next would be a 10 day response, which is what this was. Then must contact within 10 days of the report was made. She got a copy of Ms. Mueler's report.
Screener alerts are notations basically to the investigating social workers. There may be some risk factors, violence in the home, or gang area. On this particular report it was custody dispute.
Why is it important for you to be aware of that, when going to invistagate allegations of child abuse? that would indicate the parents were not in agreement over custody of the child. Because of possibly the emotional issues with the child, or parent wanting more time with the child. Itls emotionally charged and we needed to be aware of that.
Did you conduct an investigation? Yes I did. Did you review the report from Ms. Meuler? Yes.
According to Ms. Muler's report, what did his father claim was the source of abuse? Um, the father said that the child said the mother kicked her. The child had bruises on her legs.
Were there other claims? The child told the father that the mother grabs her with her fingers on the side of the mouth, leaving marks. Lauren had nail marks on her ears. Also said both parents allege emotional abuse of each other. Back and forth, And the child is given informaiton, called bad mouthing, a child is given info about the other parent.
Was that also in Ms. Muelers report? Yes, That the parents were giving info about each other. Did the father claim that her mother diciplined her in a particular way? I don't think it was on the report, just thekicking and grabing. And something about throwing her on the floor, and I think that came later.
Lets talk about what you did to investigate these claims? Did you go to Lauren's home on June 20, 2000. What happened. No one was home. I left my card and left a message for the mother to call me.
SHe talked to the mother on the phone, as well as the step mother. Did have a phone number for Cameron Brown. He lived in Los Angeles County.
She did speak to him and talked to him on the phone. What did he tell you? Ther wer elittle scab on the corner of her mouth, whiech the child said it was from a boo boo. When asked if she was pinced she said no it was from a boo boo. The e father said that Lauren said the mother pushes her down in the kitchen.d child also told flathe that mother spanks her hadn and also that, mother grabs her on the face. The father saw what looked like fingerprint marks.
Lauren refued to talks about this to the father. This is waht cameron brown told you, he had been told by Lauren.
Did you also go to Lauren's school Interviewed Lauren. There was a teacher present, Ms. Iniaot. She sat in on the interivew.
Did you make observations of Lauren? Yes. Why is that important? Well, a visual check of hte child appearance can indicate thelevel of care. Also cleanliness, ehalth facial expresion in terms of sadnes sor to see what thow the child repsonds to someone else, turning away, or crying. Or jsut to see if there were any obsevable marks on the child.
Tell us what were you observations of Lauren. She was veyr well dressed and cliean. her hari was very together. She looke like she was a wel cared for child.
Did you talk to Lauren about the claims that her father had made Yes.
What was Laurnes reaciont to the cliam. I used the word surprised in my report.
What did you asks her and what did she tell you? I asked if she hadn ever bene pinched on the face, her ears pulled, burises to her legs, anybody slpa or hit her hurt her or threw her to the goru.d
She said no to each question. Did youask Laurne what type of punishement she recieve dfor cidiple. What did she say? time out.
Did you specifically ask luren to theallegaitons did you ask her if anyone thrown her donw on the floor and her response was no. More specifics about the questions.
Lauren said no to all the questions.
Her reaction you described as surprised? Did that seem to be her reaction to all these questions. yes.
Did you ask her if her mother and step father had ever hurt her? Yes. What did she say? No.
Also spoke to a teacher, Msl Lena. Yes. Did the teacher also tell you factor into the valididty? Yes.
Often times what scholl perosnell have to say about a chidl is omportant because they see them on a daily basis.
What did mis Lena tell you. The child was happy, well cared for and behaived. There were no concerns about the mother and step father. They were always interested i how her day had gone so there were very attentive to her school and fucntion.
Did they school, provide you with any information about Lauren when her father would come pick her up? That she would hide. Her conclusion would be, that she didn't want to go, that she was hiding.
I did see that behavior as very unusual (not very unusual?) because, Lauren didn't know her father for that long. She came into his life at 2.5 maybe? She'd lived with her mother all her life. She didn't have that familarity and contact. It's not that unusual. That didn't trigger any red flags for you? No.
Spoke with Sarah, Greg and Josh. Also made observations as to where Lauren lived? Yes. Explains why they do that. To ensure there are no potential dangers there. Want to establish that it was a safe environment, and that it had high standards. The s tandards of Lauren's home were very high. It was a neighborhood was very nice. The house was clean, there were toys, it was very orderly. She had no concerns.
Do recall that Lauren had her own room? I might have looked in, I don't recollect it, I did interview Josh in his own room, so I assumed Lauren had her own room.
Did your interview with the mother help you determine if the allegations were true or not? Yes.
How was Laurne diciplined? Time out. Three minutes. Four, four minutes. Also so if there wer safety issues, if child ran out of the house, she would maybe give the child a slap on the back bottom, clothed, and never hard enough to leave any injuries.
What did mis Key mar tell you as to her feelings as to physical dicipline? She was never physically diciplined as a child and she didn't believe in it.
Questioned Sarah Key-Marer about if she ever kicked, or grabbed, or threw Lauren on the ground? She said no.
In response to the allegations, Sarah took Lauren to a peditrician to determine if she was abused in any way. And also provided a letter from the doctor that said the child was not abused in any way.
Asked the same questions fo Greg Marer. And his responses were the same as Sarah's.
Interviewed Josh in his room. What did Josh tell you. He denied any abuse or neglect. He usually got a time out for punishment 5 to 15 minutes or sent to his room. He said Lauren had no physical dicipline. Maybe she would get a slap on the bottom. He said she "Cried over nothing." He denied any kind of abuse to himself or any kind of abuse to Lauren.
Did you specifically ask Josh, in regard to the allegations, whether he or laurne wer pusheed to the ground or kicked or pucched? Yes. What did he respond? No.
In your entire investigaiton, the observations you made, ... did all of those observations seem to you to be completely appropriate. could you ask that again?
Everything you found out, from interviews, the home, her appearance, josh appearance, did all those observations, seem completely appropriate to a normal family? Yes.
Did you investigation cause you to be concerned for Lauren's safety? No. did you find any indication from the things that you discussed that there was any abuse of Lauren? No.
Did you find anything to support the claims by Cameron Brown at all? No.
The case was closed wit hthe finding, the dispostion would be either substantiated, unsubstantiated or inconclusive, unfounded. What was your conclusion to the claims by Cameron Brown? Unfounded.
Did you expand on that in your report? It appears that Lauren's father made exaggerated or false accusations. There is no indication of abuse or neglect.
Direct ends and cross begins.
11:00 AM
Cameron Brown is not the father who called in Child Servies? That's true.
You called him and he didn't do anything to push the investigation? Yes. He never called you back, to push the investigation? That's correct.
Her report was initiated by the court reporter.
You learned that she did have scabs on her mouth and that was from her not washing her mouth correctly? yes. And you did learn that she did have bruises on her shins? Yes.
You questioned Lauren, to include Mr. Brown? Yes.
You talked with Lauren whether anyone had hurt her at all, and she told you no? Yes.
There was something that she said, she referred to her as Papa Cam. He would tease her and throw her in the water. She didn't consider that unusual. Certainly not something that would be considered any kind of abuse or neglect. I didn't investate that further, but she didn't like it.
She said no one makes me fearful? yes.
And she actually said that she wasn't afraid of anyone? Yes.
When you talked with Lauren's mother she was explaining to you what she felt was behind the allegations against her, Mr. Brown had made to Ms. Mueller, one of the things she said to her was that he wanted more time with her. Yes.
Redirect.
When you said that anyone had done anything to her, what was the context.
It was specifically in regards to the mother and step father, that the allegations were against her. I also asked her if anyone she was fearful of. I don't remember specifically asked her about her father.
In mediation, there is a phamplet that people get/ Yes. Presents the phamplet to her.
Under mediation, the document reads that it's a confidentail process, unless there are grounds of allegation of abuse.
Laub objects to the information on this document.
DDA Hum states this is offered to show that proper procedures were followed. It's also offered to show that when people enter mediation, they are given this document to show what mediation is.
Laub asks for a sidebar.
11:07 AM
In this pamphlet, it specifically reads that, judges and attorneys do not receive any information unless they are provided information from a parent. And that was the procedure followed by Ms. Mueler? Yes.
Have you found situations where, parents make allegations to mediators, to shiled them from calling child protective servies? Yes.
Recross.
About this phamplet. You don't know if Mr. Brown ever received this phamplet? I don't know that. You don't know if he ever read that?
It would be highly unlikey that he didn't get it, as part of mediation.
DDA Hum interjects. There is a bit of confusion as to what document they are talking about. Laub admits that he may be coufused.
There's nothing in her investigation file that she gave this specific document to the defendant.
No more redirect and the witness is excused. The court calls the morning recess at about 11:12 AM
Patty Brown comes into the courtroom, just as Brown is taken back into custody for the morning break. Patty speaks to the bailiff about clothing she had brought into Brown that he never got.
11:22 AM
I hear Patty Brown speaking to the bailiff in the ante chamber about shirts for Brown.
11:27 AM
Brown was brought out a moment ago. DDA Hum brings in his next witness. She has a seat in the gallery.
11:30 AM
The jury files in. People call Ann Omare
ANNE O'MARA
Retired from social work. Medical social worker at Kaiser in 1996. Describes her duties. Worked to clinic patients. All age groups. Sometimes with childrens in abuse case. ADAD, learning problems, teenage pregnancy. Medical, financial problems.
Would you as part of your duties, discuss with patients, related medical issues going on with your lives. Would document interviews via notes? Yes.
Document conversations you had with Cameron Brown. Presents her with notations on a patient record that are hers.
Did you always go by the name Anne? I'm always called Sally by all my friends. There are signatures by S O'Mara, but that is also you.
Did I give you an entire medical file back in the past of Cameron Brown? yes.
Did you ahve any other contacts with the person named Cameron Brown? No.
These notes you made in these contacts, were they made near the time you had contact? Yes.
These notes would be in the medical files of Kaiser Permamente? Yes.
When was the first contact you had with Cameron Brown? Jan 13, 1996. Month and birth of person, September 1961. The meeting was to discuss the pregnancy of the girl that he had been dating.
How long had he been dating her? Two months.
Did you offer an aopointment with the two of them tgoghether in January 1996? Yes.
What was the substance of that contact? What was discussed? We discussed the pregnancy and how they were getting along, and, a paternaty testing.
Coughing juror #8. Apologies. It was the coffee.
SEcond contact on 1/9/96? It was only with Cameron Brown.
Information related to paternity testing, how they were getting along esentially the pregnancy and offered a return appointment with her?
Was there a return appt. on 1/16/96? Yes. visit document i nhis notes? yes. It was with Brown and Sarah Key. She was from England and just that she was pregnant.
What else occured during that visit? It's hard to remember, I believe I had th impression that she wanted to continue the pregnancy and no other option was of interest to her, and he wanted to end the pregnancy.
Did you discuss possible options for a pregnancy in situations such as that? Yes.
Was there anything discussed about how this pregnancy was affecting the relationship? It was putting a great deal of strain o nthe relationship.
Was there, another appointment arranged with the two of them. Yes. Another arrainged a bout a week and a hlaf time. Was tha 1/25/96? yes.
did that appointment take place? There was a message that he had called, she wasn't able to keep the appointment. He never called back.
Cross examination.
It's been a long passage of time, it's difficult remembering what happened all that time ago. I think I have a vage recollection of that time, but I don't have a lot of detail.
When you answered the question about generally, you would discuss options, I'd like you to elaborate on that some more. If the conflicts have conflicts as a couple or whether they have a difference of opinion on the pregnancy.
She wanted to continue the pregnancy and he did not want her to. Not continuing means, considering an abortion. Sometime's prospective mother doesn't know if she wantes to be a mother either, and considers adoption.
Would you start off by telling them that one of the options that there are women who continue the pregnancy ...
I don't think that I would start off that way. The couples themselves would have a lot to say and we'd go from there.
You wouldn't say to her that may be the way they handle it in England, but that's not the way we do things here? That doesn't sound like something [she would say].
You wouldn't push the idea of abortion on someone who indicated that wasn't their choice?
She states she may have considered
The fact that Mr. Brown was the person who set the thing in motion and he was interested in abortion as a choice, that wouldn't cause you, once the pregnant woman was in his office, to act as his advocate? No, that's not her role, to set one person against another.
Redirect.
Would it be accurate to say you don't know what discussions happened between Brown and Ms. Key before they came to you? Correct.
Or after? That's right.
She assumed that, he wanted her to see a doctor and have her not be pregnant.
You had a role that you thought was yours to fulfill? Right. You didn't know what conversations they had or that Ms. Key had previously told Mr. Brown she was not open to abortion? No I was not aware of that. Objection sustained. Well, you didn't know about [her position or that she had told Brown she didn't want to have an abortion?] No.
Recross?
Within the logic of that question. simillarily, you have no knowledge of anything going on with this couple other that what was going on with this couple? Other than what he told me, no.
Witness is excused.
Mr. Laub has concerns with a witness, Scott Simonson.
In the past, Scott Simonson testified about an incident involving someone named Troy, that Simonson wasn't directly involved in, involving Brown. Simonson ended up mediating.
The information came in previously with limiting instructions. My objection today is irrelevant. Going to object on relevance grounds. It's not relevant to bring in the substance of the dispute.
DDA Hum, Let me just advise the court what the statement is and what the discussion in the prior court was. He was informed by Troy Nichol, what the substance of the abuse was, and that thedefendant threatened to punch him.
The witness went to Brown asked Brown about it and the defendant agreeded to. Adopted admission. What happened at prior ... The relevance is whether the defendant shows emotion.
DDA Hum explains what happened in the prior trial, that Pastor said that it was admissible under 1221. It technically was only admitted for Mr. Simonson's state of mind.
Court rules on this issue. It is admissible as an adopted admission. Will be in recess until 12:30.
1:00 PM
During the lunch break, I had to go to CVS to get a phone cord. My phone's battery is low and I need to charge it off my laptop. I will try to do some editing later tonight.