Harrelson Trial Day 3

LIBERTY, September 25, 2003 - On Wednesday several witnesses testified as part of the prosecutions case. They included George Ellington, former Chief Deputy at the Sheriff’s Department, David Castle of First Liberty National Bank, John W. Davis III (J.D.), Liberty County Sheriff’s Department Deputy, Odell McDuffie, Jr, Liberty County Sheriff's Deputy, Melody Gilmore, District Clerk, Barbara Shipman, retired Coordinator for retired District Judge J. C. "Zeke" Zbranek, Brain Bortz, Liberty County Sheriff’s Department Deputy and Greg Arthur, Liberty County Sheriff.

David Castle identified copies of checks drawn on county bank accounts made payable to CCA, LCSO Deputy Brian Bortz, Odell McDuffie, Jr. and John W. Davis III. This was part of the prosecutions case to prove that Janet Harrelson’s actions had cost the taxpayers of Liberty County money in transporting and housing her son Jeff Hale in Liberty County.

John W. Davis III, a Liberty County Sheriff’s Department Deputy who had transported Jeff Hale and Janet Harrelson from Beaumont to Liberty County on November 14, 2002, was questioned at length about his actions and his involvement in bringing Mr. Hale to Liberty. John W. Davis III known, as “JD” was the bailiff in Judge Zbranek’s court when the events surrounding this case transpired.

“JD” testified that Odell McDuffie, a bailiff in County Court at Law Judge Don Taylor’s court, had instructed him to take Janet Harrelson to Beaumont and pick up her son, Jeff Hale and according to “JD” it was Odell McDuffie who told him to take Janet and Jeff to Janet’s house in Dayton.

"JD" testified that he removed the handcuffs from Jeff Hale upon leaving the Stiles Unit in Beaumont and that he remain without handcuffs until he was delivered to the Liberty County Jail.

“JD” also stated that Janet made cell phone calls to Sheriff Greg Arthur on the trip over to Beaumont to pick up Jeff Hale and upon their arrival in Dayton it was obvious they were expected at her home. Present at the house were Janet’s Mother, Father, Sister, Son, Daughter-in-law, Janet herself and some friends from France. He stated that they were at Janet’s home in Dayton for 1.5 to 2 hours. He also testified that Sheriff Arthur called Janet as they left her house in Dayton in route to Liberty.

After leaving Janet’s home in Dayton, “JD”, Jeff Hale and Janet made a stop on the way to the Liberty County Court Jail. “JD” needed another bench warrant in order to check Hale into the Liberty County Jail and they didn’t have one. It had been left at the Stiles unit in Beaumont. It was “JD’s” testimony that Janet said she had one on her desk in the courthouse. So the trio stopped at the court house and "JD" went inside, following Janet’s instructions, and retrieved the bench warrant from her office leaving Janet and Jeff Hale in the car unattended.

According to “JD” Janet made another call to Sheriff Arthur while in route to the jail to make sure he had made arrangements for “contact visits” between her and Jeff Hale.

“JD” testified under cross-examination by Janet Harrelson’s Lawyer, Mr. Mike Turner, that it was Judge Taylor who told him to go and assist Odell and Janet on something they will fill you in on and that it was Judge Don Taylor who approved him to go.

It was then Odell McDuffie who testified about his failed attempt to pick up Jeff Hale at the Stiles unit in Beaumont on November 13, 2002, the day before he was successfully brought to Liberty County.

Under cross-examination by Harrelson’s attorney, Mr. Turner, Odell McDuffie, Bailiff in Judge Don Taylor’s Court, testified that bailiff’s run personal errands for judges. He testified that he had made a trip to Louisiana for Judge Taylor to purchase lottery tickets.

Barbara Shipman, retired court coordinator for Judge"Zeke" Zbranek, testified that it was Judge Zbranek who called her on Nov. 8, 2003 instructing her to use his stamp and sign a bench warrant coming to him from Melody Gilmore. She further testified that she came to work about a week latter and a second bench warrant was on her desk for Judge Zbranek to sign. She left her office for a little while and upon her return it was not there.

Liberty County Sheriff Greg Arthur took the stand near the end of the day. He testified that Janet ask him if she could go to pick up Jeff Hale and that he said no. He also said no to the request that Janet and her son be allowed to go to her home in Dayton.

Sheriff Arthur also testified that it was about a week after Hale’s arrival in Liberty that he found out that Janet had gone with the bailiff to Beaumont and stated that it was not customary for citizen’s to accompany a deputy to transport a prisoner.

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