If you can't hear this video well, I have added closed captioning to this video. You will need to click on the settings icon and chose the closed captioning icon to turn them on.
With my limited experience in Law Enforcement, I have been taught and have noticed that eyewitness testimony is shaky evidence at best. In this particular situation, I did find Mr. Steven’s testimony to be somewhat helpful to the prosecution. It is my belief that his testimony helped to fill some of the gaps left by the coroner and EMT reports. Without Mr. Stevens testimony, we would not have known that, “Tristan” was somebody who could, “Kick drugs, (oxycodone being one that was readily available to him.)” With the Medical Examiner’s report stating a 40 mg tablet of oxycodone being a substantial factor in causing the death of Riley Thomas, and the EMT’s testimony of what he saw and heard, I believe that Mr. Steven’s testimony helped prove the defendants’ guilt.
Submitted by Mid-State Technical College Student, Jake
After watching witness #1 being interviewed, it was clear to see that his testimony hurt the prosecution. While he stated that he saw a prescription bottle that didn’t belong to Tristan, he also admitted to drinking a lot the night before. His perception may have been clouded by the previous night’s activities. Since he was under the influence, his testimony cannot be looked at as completely true. His body language also shows that he is uncomfortable with talking about the subject, which may be because he isn’t quite sure what happened exactly. Since he never saw Tristan take the medication, this testimony can be considered inconclusive because assumptions were drawn.
While watching the first witness’s testimony, it was clear that his testimony hurt the prosecution. He revealed that he was intoxicated the night before and that he saw a prescription bottle that wasn’t Tristan Marks. Since he was intoxicated he couldn’t possibly remember a lot about what happened that night. The alcohol in their system clearly affected their ability to observe and recall the events that happened that night. Although the first witness’s testimony hurt the prosecution, it still has a relatively low credibility due to the fact of him being intoxicated. Nic Stevens even clearly states that he drank so much that he passed out.
Comments
Submitted by Mid-State Technical College Student, Jake
Submitted by Mid-State Student, Jenna
Submitted by MSTC Student, Bryan