Ritzville- Day two
I did not know how many would be there in support of Erica but as many of you know we arranged a early breakfast at 7:30 am at the Circle T restaurant. When I arrived it was a pleasant surprise to find around 20 people from all across the country to be there. How can I express the generous and kind consideration that was given from so many sources. I must digress and tell of a few. A fellow advocate from New York sent mint green ribbons for all to wear including a beautiful gold and green ribbon pin especially for Erica. Another brought a cute stuffed lamb with an x across its mouth as a gift. As mentioned earlier a group from Germany sent $80 for a nice flower purchase for Erica. I had in my folder close to thirty personal notes to Erica with many kind words of encouragement. In the course of the trial several cards and flower arrangements were sent to the courthouse. It really helped make the statement that many eyes were watching this proceeding. So much more to relate in the way of personal assistance to those who came. A mother gave part of her social security check just so her daughter could be there. Another contributed the plane fare for a person to be there though they could not. One-person drove in from Canada, over 1800 miles in a Geo Metro just to be there. A brother and sister were helped with gas money and lodging from a family who lived nearby but were afraid to come for fear of being recognized. One person who is disabled had been saving money for several weeks for something they needed, but instead decided to come to Ritzville, when they got there they only had $54 to their name but different ones chipped in and helped with meals and lodging. Several took vacation days; some just called in sick and took their chances with losing their jobs. One husband and wife who just knew Erica in California drove over 16 hours just to be there. There were several who made long driving trips to be there. How many states were the advocates from? Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, California as well as Canada and Mexico as I recall I could have missed a few.
Well now let me get back to the Circle T. We started the meeting regarding how to get ready for the hearing and passed out the mint green ribbons for everyone to wear. Shortly thereafter Erica and her family arrived along with friends from California. It was my first time to meet them in person and so as you can guess they were overwhelmed with hugs and kind words of support from everyone there. I passed on the folder of letters for Erica to read in her spare time. The family seemed almost surprised to see how may was there and how everyone was supporting them for a change. The judge had asked them to come in early so they had to leave shortly to go to the courthouse. When they arrived at the courthouse Erica collapsed and had to be rushed to the hospital. Why? With the stress and strain of all that had been going on I think it finally had become too much to handle and it caught up with her. The doctor said she needed a day of rest and she went back to the motel to do so along with a guard to be nearby.
The court trial proceeded with the jury selection. The huge issue of tainted jury the defense and prosecutor had made was completely non-existent. They ushered forty-nine potential jurors into the room and asked them how many had a subscription to the Othello paper. Only seventeen raised their hands. Then they asked how many had even read the article, at that point only thirteen raised their hand. This left plenty of people who could hear the case completely untainted by the newspaper story. Yet it appeared they tried to make it as hard as possible. After asking the potential jurors a series of questions they then decided to ask each one personally questions so the others could not hear. The went through one complete round which took about an hour and a half, called everyone back in and then decided they had not asked the right questions and sent everyone out for a second round of questions. Finally after around five to six hours of this the jury was decided on. The judge then went on to relate all the instructions this taking about another thirty minutes. That instruction was basically they had to follow the letter of the law. Why was such an issue made of this? Erica had been molested over a seven year period, yet the only times that actually counted was in the year of 1990 as the statue of limitations had run out before then. It did not make any difference what Manuel had done before 1990 that was to be considered a non issue as far as the court was concerned. By this time it was now three o’clock and the trial was finally going to start.
The first called to the stand was Othello police officer Dave Rehaume. Rehaume recalled the interrogation of Beliz after the Othello Police Department was informed by the Sacramento, Calif., in December 1996 that Erica had made a report about Beliz. The Garza family had moved to California in 1990. Rehaume said when he interviewed Beliz in March, Beliz first denied everything but later changed his story. Rehuame said he believed Beliz confessed to first-degree rape. Although the defense attorney Dennis Morgan appeared to challenge whether both Rehuame and Beliz had the same definition of the words used during the interrogation, most people attending the trial couldn’t hear much of what was said. The attorneys’ questions could not always be heard, and a scratchy microphone in the witness box made it difficult to understand testimony.
Erica’s mother, Alejandra testified her daughter first told her about Beliz in 1996, after undergoing sexual abuse by another elder in Sacramento, California who also happened to be a personal friend of Beliz. Erica’s mother called Beliz’s wife in October 1996. She related, “I couldn’t sleep with the thought of her children being in danger.’ Adding that she asked Beliz’s wife if she knew of anything. “She said, ‘Yes, I know, he told me everything.”
Alejandra also testified that Beliz had called her at one point to apologize about what he had done to her daughter, but he had added that Erica had exaggerated the start of the molestation. He said, “I did not start molesting her when she was four, no, she was at least five before I touched her.”
At his point the judge called a recess and then decided to end court for the day. It was an exhausting day to say the least. Due to the death threats being made at the last trial security was tight with everyone going through a metal detector before going into the courtroom. I was able to visit with Erica around noon to see how she was doing, she looked very weak and tired, and I wondered if she was going to make it through the next day. We went to dinner at a local supporters home and had a very nice visit.
It should be interesting to note that the PO of the Othello Congregation, John White, works as a building inspector for the county and has an office in the courthouse. Time and again the judge and prosecutor stated that they did not in any way want religion to be brought into this trial. When Erica’s mother inadvertently mentioned she was at pioneer school for Jehovah’s Witnesses the Defense objected and moved to have it stricken from the record. Do you think they were trying to follow John White’s instructions? As far as Jehovah’s Witness pedophile supporters were concerned, at the first trial over one hundred showed up and filled the courtroom. It was noted at the first trial Mr. Beliz stood at the top of the courthouse steps while at least fifty smiling Witness listened to him read from the bible of the trials Jesus would experience from the book of Isaiah. During breaks in the first hearing Beliz would read to the group from the bible time and time again. At the last trial there was no bailiff or police officers in the courtroom. No one was checked for weapons when they entered. At the last trial virtually nothing was written about the trial in the local newspaper.
This time we were able to get Dateline to come and film each day at the trial. They were not allowed in the courtroom but they filmed everything else going on in and around the courthouse. At least three different newspapers had reporters there in the courtroom as the trial progressed. I counted ten police officers on duty for the trial and no less than three in the courtroom at all times.
Would the Witnesses show up in mass to support the pedophile?
Would Beliz have an audience to read his scriptures to during recess of the court?
Would Erica and her family be intimidated and outnumbered by looks of hatred from Jehovah's Witnesses?
Not this time.