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Westerfield Given Limited Access To Police Records

Lawyers Wanted To Examine Records Of 13 Officers

POSTED: 11:24 am PDT April 19, 2002
UPDATED: 12:05 pm PDT April 19, 2002

Lawyers for David Westerfield will be given a limited glimpse into the records of one of the police officers involved in investigating the disappearance of Danielle van Dam, 10News reported.

Danielle van Dam
DANIELLE VAN DAM 1994-2002
DISCUSSION
Westerfield's lawyers had sought access to records showing any and all complaints filed against some 13 officers involved in the case. Instead, they will be allowed to examine two complaints, filed against a single officer.

Judge William Mudd The decision was made Friday morning by Superior Court William Mudd (pictured, right). On Thursday he had ruled that he would examine the records himself and determine which, if any, should be released to Westerfield's lawyers.

In court documents, defense attorney Robert Boyce said that police ignored his client's requests for a lawyer and questioned him abusively following the 7-year-old's disappearance.

In the days after the second-grader vanished, police were so rough in their questioning that Westerfield "stated that he thought he was abused and all that was missing were the bright lights and a rubber hose," Boyce said in the documents.

Video
The documents maintain that after Westerfield became a suspect, police interrogated him for nine straight hours, ignoring his repeated requests to speak with a lawyer, sleep, make telephone calls, shower, change clothes and halt the interview, according to the documents.

"I asked you to get me a lawyer. Bring me a lawyer in here. Bring the D.A. in. Bring somebody in I can talk to. ... You're asking me to admit to something," Westerfield told police detectives during one interview, the court documents state.

"As far as I'm concerned, I didn't do it. I know that you're adamant that I did."

Westerfield's trial is scheduled to begin on May 17.


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