Today In Court – Wednesday, April 20, 2016

“The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”

The Crown began their cross-examination of Dr. Anny Sauvageau this morning. The doctor was asked questions that were so vague and multiplex in nature that the Judge had to ask the jury and witnesses to separate while the Crown got their bearings. Dr. Sauvageau was then asked a series of plainer yet still confining questions. The doctor reminded the Crown twice that she had sworn to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”. She explained, that she could not select only part of the evidence she had examined, as the Crown was suggesting, because it would prevent her from speaking the whole truth.

Dr. Suavageau was also taken into areas that she is not qualified regarding microbiology and hematologic testing. The doctor reminded the Court that neither her nor Dr. Adeagbo are microbiologists, and perhaps the Crown should ask microbiologists and hematologists questions on testing on a cellular level. These questions were surprising, given the Crown’s insistence Dr. Sauvageau be narrowly and unusually curtailed in her expert testimony yesterday. Who would have anticipated an eminently qualified world class forensic pathologist would not be able to give opinion on the diagnosis and prognosis of disease.

However, the attempt to convert the true findings of Dr. Sauvageau into compounded distortions failed. What the doctor was able to do before the jury was reestablish the facts and firm up her opinion. The Crown concluded quickly, and surprisingly, chose not to recall Dr. Adeagbo to defend his questionable report.

The Defense will likely call their remaining witnesses tomorrow.