Paulina Buelna and Isabel Garbarino
STANISLAUS, CA – A hearing here in Stanislaus County Superior Court this past week was reconvened after the alleged domestic abuse victim seemingly contradicted statements given to law enforcement officers at the scene last May, and charged officers filed a false report.
Deputy District Attorney Timothy Keaton called the alleged victim as the first witness and asked her to recall specific details about an allegedly violent incident between her and partner.
DDA Timothy Keaton asked the victim questions about the police report she gave to officers, and she repeatedly said she was “very intoxicated and was sick,” and then denied the abuse from her partner. 
During questioning, the victim was shown several photos taken the day the police report was filed, which purported to show bruises on her thighs and shins. However, the alleged victim claimed that the bruises were all caused by children at her job.
When interviewed, the victim had told another officer some of the bruises were caused by physical injury from the accused, and then later changed that statement to say they were from children at her job.
When the accused’s counsel cross-examined the victim, he asked her how she felt during her interview with the officer, and she replied, “[I was] stressed out, intimated, being told that I was saying things out of order when he didn’t know the story himself.”
The victim blamed the officer for his false report since she felt pressured during the interview.
While the victim was on the stand, she was told to stop elaborating on her answers several times. Judge Carrie Stephens and DDA Keaton were frustrated with the victim and wanted her to answer the questions more straightforwardly.
After the victim left the stand, one of the officers who took the report stated the victim contradicted her statements that the officer had documented in the police report.
The hearing ended with both counsels agreeing to a future preliminary hearing that would allow more evidence to be brought into court before the final determination of whether the case was going to trial.
