Thread by @KGETnews

Court is back in session in the trial of Trezell and Jacqueline West. Jacqueline West's attorney, Alekxia Torres Stallings, is questioning her first witness, Christopher Armstrong, who enhanced images and video for the defense. #WestsTrial

Armstrong testified one video of the West home on Dec. 21, 2020, shows lights in the background that in his opinion correspond with the motion of a car on the roadway. #WestsTrial

Armstrong said the video shows someone open the right door of the Wests' van but you can't see who it is. You can see the door open but can't see the person because they are wearing dark clothing and there is very little reflective light. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings asked what about someone 3 feet tall wearing dark clothing. If you can't see them in the video does that mean they're not on the video. No, Armstrong says, you can't say something isn't there just because can't see it due to the contrast in the video. #WestsTrial

He said two small children would be much harder to see than if an adult opened the door. The clothing and the color of their skin could also make it more difficult to see them. The darker the clothing and skin color, the more difficult to see in video taken at night. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings ended her questioning. Smith has begun cross-examination and is asking Armstrong what software he used. #WestsTrial

Smith asked what happens when you zoom in to the footage. Armstrong said it makes it larger. Smith said the quality diminishes the more it's zoomed in. #WestsTrial

Armstrong testified he saw no one else in the backyard, even on his enhanced footage, other than a person in the backyard previously pointed out by the prosecution. #WestsTrial

"Did you observe two small children at any point?" Smith asked.
"No," Armstrong said.

Under redirect, Armstrong testified to what could be sign behind the height of the fence given the measurements he was given. #WestsTrial

Armstrong has been excused. #WestsTrial

Pamela Castillo has been called to the stand. She is in the adoption unit in the Department of Human Services. She was assigned to the West case on Dec. 23, 2020. #WestsTrial

On that day she got a paper with names and began doing background checks. She said her first point of contact was the FBI. She said the boys were most likely at the Jamison Center or a foster home at that point. #WestsTrial

Castillo testified she had a couple conversations with social worker Sunya Barton on the morning of Dec. 23. She said she hadn't yet communicated with the resource parent with whom the children were staying. #WestsTrial

On Dec. 24, 2020 she went to a hearing to file a petition to keep the children in custody while the investigation continued. Then over the weekend she talked with a lieutenant at the California City Police Department. #WestsTrial

Asked if she followed the case at all on the news or Facebook, Castillo said, "I think I tend to follow all cases." #WestsTrial

Castillo, questioned by Torres Stallings, said she's aware her text messages and emails regarding this case have been provided to attorneys. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings asked if Castillo examined the emergency response referral in this case. She said yes, but hasn't seen it in a long time, and Torres Stallings handed her a copy. #WestsTrial

Castill confirmed the referral form only related to Orrin and Orson, not the other West children, and it was for general neglect. #WestsTrial

Castillo said on Dec. 22, 2020, she became aware she would be assigned the case. Torres Stallings asked who she heard about it from. Castillo said not from social worker Sunya Barton, but she started speaking with her about it that day. #WestsTrial

Castillo said it's a small office, they talk about different cases when they come in. #WestsTrial

"To the best of my knowledge, yes," Castill said when asked if the children were detained at 3 p.m. on Dec. 22, 2020. #WestsTrial

"I did, I do and the judge thought so as well," Castillo said when asked if she thought she had enough evidence to detain. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings asked Castillo if she was aware if there was an issue with the initial contact with the children. She said no. A sidebar has been called. #WestsTrial

The judge and attorneys are back. Castillo said she has not reviewed the emails from DHS that were provided in this case. #WestsTrial

Castillo said she believes corrections were later made to documents provided to the court. She said county counsel suggested it. #WestsTrial

Castillo testified she contacted Officer Brian Hansen at 11:05 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2020, because she received info about what may have happened to Orrin and Orson. She couldn't reach him, followed up with the FBI. #WestsTrial

On that same day, she contacted Sunya Barton to schedule a forensic interview. Torres Stallings asked if Barton was "panicked." Castillo said she was "a little nervous." #WestsTrial

Court is in recess for 15 minutes. #WestsTrial

Court is back in session with Castillo on the stand being questioned by Torres Stallings. #WestsTrial

Castillo said she spoke with Sunya Barton after the children were interviewed. #WestsTrial

Barton said "he's lying," according to a message sent between Barton and Castillo. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is going over messages the two social workers sent each other. #WestsTrial

Castillo said she was present during the third interview of the eldest child. Barton left twice during the interview to speak with law enforcement, she said. #WestsTrial

Law enforcement was telling her which topics to cover. She said she doesn't know if they told her about a real estate agent. #WestsTrial

Castillo said the interview was conducted at the request of and guidance of law enforcement. "They're the experts," she said. Torres Stallings finished and Smith is questioning her. #WestsTrial

Castillo is going over the hearing where a judge determined there was enough evidence for CPS to continue its investigation. She confirmed no one from the DA's office was at the dependency hearing. #WestsTrial

Smith ended his questioning. #WestsTrial

Castillo has been excused. #WestsTrial

Sunya Barton, who has previously testified, has been called to the stand by Torres Stallings. She's the social worker who interviewed the other West children. #WestsTrial

Barton had 2 interviews with the Wests' eldest child on Dec. 22, 2020, and Torres Stallings is going to play the second interview. Transcripts are being handed out to the jury. #WestsTrial

The video is playing. #WestsTrial

Barton is asking about discipline in the house. The boy said his father will either give them a "tongue-lashing" or make them sit in the corner. Barton asks about being forced to take cold showers. #WestsTrial

The boy said he's never had a cold shower as a form of punishment, and he thinks sometimes the showers were turned on cold but just needed to warm up. #WestsTrial

Barton tells the boy all his other brothers talk about the cold showers. The boy says Orrin and Orson took cold showers too. #WestsTrial

Barton reminds the boy he said he would tell the truth and asks if he doesn't see anything going on inside the house, or not hear it, or what. The boy denies being spanked with a belt and bleeding. #WestsTrial

The boy says he thinks his brothers exaggerated the punishment. #WestsTrial

The boy says there is nothing that's gone on at his house that he's concerned about. #WestsTrial

The video is over. Torres Stallings ended her questioning and now Timothy Hennessy, lead attorney for Trezell West, is questioning her. #WestsTrial

Barton confirmed she conducted forensic interviews of all the boys. It was on Dec. 28, 2020, that the eldest boy said he saw Orrin die. Prior to that he didn't say that. #WestsTrial

Barton said she's aware the purpose of forensic interviews is to make sure the children tell the truth and aren't improperly influenced. #WestsTrial

Between Dec. 22 and 28, Barton said, she came to the conclusion the parents were lying after seeing the interview the parents gave to the news and interviewing the children the first time. #WestsTrial

Hennessy is asking about Facebook stories Barton shared with another social worker that weren't true and how Barton kept "falling for" them. She confirmed that's true. #WestsTrial

Hennessy asked if she said "these kids just need to spill the beans already." Barton confirmed that's true. #WestsTrial

Hennessy asked if it's true that, when the FBI asked for fingerprints of the children, she sent a text to another social worker saying, "How many bodies of a 3 to 4 year old could they have?" and used the shrug emoji. Barton said that's correct. #WestsTrial

Barton confirmed this message was sent before the eldest child's interview on Dec. 28, 2020. Barton said some of her text messages with another social worker were just conversation. Hennessy ended his questioning. #WestsTrial

Under questioning by Torres Stallings, Barton said she and the other social worker did not discuss the alternate theory that Orrin and Orson were kidnapped. Barton was excused and court is in recess until 9 a.m. tomorrow. #WestsTrial