This trial started November 24, 2003 and is ongoing.

May 25, 2004
by
dll

8:52am - The trial that wouldn't die. Cameras, more than usual if you ask me, line the hall to the courtroom. Song, Jeff and Marc all sitting at the Burns table, talking. Bob the court clerk is in his spot. Shyrell running around, busy as usual.

8:58am - Veronica enters.

9:00am - SB and AR enter. Bob Thompson enters. Roger and James are not far behind.

9:02am - Jeff and Song sitting with hands in the "pyramid" position. 48-hours camera focused on their hands.

9:05am - SB's mom and a friend of his enter. He turns around and sees them, smiles broadly and starts chatting with them and seems genuinely happy for the moment. SB's dad then enters. They do a little seat switching so he is sitting next to his wife.

9:08am - James and Roger are getting things set up. Judge pops out and calls a sidebar. Everyone huddles near the door of his office. They talk for awhile then everyone smiles, some laughing. Reminds of how court was in the bigger courtroom, things seemed more relaxed then. I hear Roger saying, about himself and James, "We still have some work to do." Huddle breaks up. Roger talking to Jeff, "We'll get everything set up then give you a list of what we're playing. The thing about the crime scene video…" trials off as he turns his head.

9:16am - Roger struggling with video equipment. Says "Let's get ProVideo in here since they are the ones who set this up." Prosecution techie-guy, Chris Anderson, gets the crime scene video up on the big screen. We see Sultana's feet and her sandals next to her.

9:21am - Prosecution still queuing up the videos they are going to show. Now playing 911 tape. I haven't heard this before. Sebastian sounds like he's having convulsions as he talks to the 911 operator.

9:25am - AR's envelope that he carries back and forth to court is in tatters. Someone should get him a new one.

9:30am - Judge enters. Jeff asks that the court be cleared saying it would be like re-testifying to show the videos and play the intercept in the courtroom with the lawyers, defendants and press present. He argues that the experience should be as much like being in the jury room alone as possible. Veronica joins in his argument. James is fine with that but wants to make sure SB and AR know they have the right to be in the courtroom and have talked to their respective counsel about waiving that right. He would like them on the record saying they waive that right. SB stands and Jeff questions him and asks him if he has talked it over and agrees to waive his right to be in the courtroom, he says yes. Veronica does the same schpeal with Atif.

Jeff wants to make sure when the crime scene video plays it plays with the sound down as it did originally when they played it in court. Also wants to make sure the jurors don't ask any questions of the court personnel present. Judge said he will instruct the jury on this.

9:40am - Judge clears court.

Evidence that is to be played for the jury.

1. SB's 911 tape.

2. BPD crime scene video.

3. Intercept between SB and AR when SB asked AR to come get him and used the code word "Kahn."

4. Atif's conversation with Haslett.