W-T-F?!
A judge on Saturday barred the testimony of two audio experts who suggested that a taped 911 call indicated Trayvon Martin was crying out for help during the violent struggle that ended with a gunshot, in the prosecution case of George Zimmerman.
The testimony from Tom Owen and Alan Reich, both of whom analyzed a 911 call by a neighbor that captured the sounds of the brawl, was key for the state because it could have painted Zimmerman as the aggressor.
However, in the ruling released Saturday, Seminole Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson said prosecutors can still play the 911 tape and other recordings at trial, and lawyers can introduce witnesses who are familiar with the voices of Trayvon or Zimmerman to testify about the identity of the person or persons screaming.
In her 12-page order, sent via e-mail to the lawyers in the case, Nelson found that the methods the two men used to analyze the audio were not generally accepted in the scientific community.
The judge wrote:
“There is no evidence to establish that their scientific techniques have been tested and found reliable,”Singling out Reich, who claimed he heard Trayvon saying specific phrases, including “I’m begging you.” Nelson said his report to the prosecution, which differed from one given earlier to a newspaper, “would confuse issues” and “mislead the jury.”
SMH!
Stay tuned for more updates as the trial presses on!
SOURCE: Miami Herald
