July 1, 2010

By DENISE CROSBY dcrosby@stmedianetwork.com

Sent from my Blackberry as the jury continues deliberations in the Sandra Vasquez trial:

Except for a couple of tearful break-downs — most notably when the victims' parents were on the stand earlier in the trial — Sandra Vasquez, while sitting for hours in the defendant's chair, has appeared all but motionless. Her back always straight, her arms at her side, and she seems to be looking straight ahead throughout the proceedings. Outside the courtroom, her emotions were more evident, especially when large groups of family and friends showed up in support, as her attorney presented her case...

Cold in the court

Despite lots of heated cross exams and fiery rhetoric, Kendall County's courtrooms are as chilly as the meat locker at the local Jewel. Most people brought jackets and polar fleece, a few even walked in with blankets. Astute journalists from across the Chicago area estimated the thermostat had to be set at no higher than 55 degrees. But at least it helped keep us all awake during those tedious and way-over-our-heads testimonies from the expert witnesses.

Speaking of, there is nothing like listening to the resumes of those experts to make you feel like a total failure. What? You only have three degrees? You only belong to four professional organizations? You've only been published twice? Loser...

Casual looks

So what do a church and a courtroom in the year 2010 have in common, other than lots of whispering going on? The answer: Really casual attire.

One of the most memorable sounds from the trial was the pit-pat-pit of flip-flops as witnesses walked out of the courtroom after testifying. Shorts and T-shirts were almost uniform. One witness even took the oath to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth in a shirt with a hole in it.

And what's with the gum chewing while on the witness stand...

On the defense

A 19-year-old University of Illinois student, Kevin Durrenberger, showed up for one reason. He wants to be a defense attorney and he was there to watch one of the best, Kathleen Colton, in action. He wasn't disappointed...

Respect from families

Obviously, there's no lovefest going on between supporters of Sandra Vasquez and those of the five teens. But both sides have shown nothing but respect for the other side, in and out of the courtroom — despite how emotionally volatile this case has been. So who really cares how all those witnesses dressed...

TV on the scene

There may have been lots of budget cuts at most Chicago networks, but TV news folks still have really nice hair and really shiny teeth. Still, those Johnny-come-latelies don't know what the heck is really going on, and it's amusing to watch their mad scramble to play catch-up as the trial nears its dramatic conclusion.