Redress of Grievances

by Brenda Adcock

  "Dr. Talbot, when you examined Mrs. Taggart, you used hypnosis in order to reach your diagnosis, is that correct?" Lassiter began.

  "Yes. It's the most effective method for determining the presence of the disorder."

  "Isn't it true that many psychiatrists believe hypnosis is an unreliable method?"

  "I wouldn't say many, but, yes, some do believe it's unreliable."

  "When you hypnotized Sharon Taggart for the purposes of diagnosis, did you ask to speak to her other personality?"

  "Yes."

  "In actuality, weren't you suggesting to Mrs. Taggart that she had more than one personality?"

  "No, I didn't suggest the disorder to her."

  "But you did when you asked for a new personality."

  "I didn't ask her to create a new personality, Mr. Lassiter. I asked to speak to one who was already there."

  "Did Sharon Taggart tell you under hypnosis that her brother molested her?"

  "No."

  "A moment ago you said..."

  "I said she had been molested, but not that Sharon told me. Jan revealed that part of Sharon's history. Sharon wasn't aware that it had happened."

  "Isn't it possible, Doctor, that by asking to speak to Jan, you were providing Sharon with a way to divulge information that she otherwise wouldn't have told you?"

  "Absolutely."

  "So you encouraged her to invent Jan, didn't you?"

  "No. If I suggested under hypnosis that Sharon have hallucinations, that doesn't mean she would suddenly start having them. In fact, if she did, I would be extremely suspicious that she was faking it. I cannot give Sharon Taggart more than one personality through hypnosis anymore than I can give her tuberculosis through hypnosis. It's either there or it isn't."

  Lassiter had made a mistake by allowing Dr. Talbot to get into a lengthy discussion of hypnosis, and Harriett couldn't restrain a slight smile.

  "No further questions at this time, your Honor," Lassiter said as he leaned back in his chair.

  "Redirect, Ms. Markham?"

  "Dr. Talbot, is Sharon Taggart aware of the existence of her alter personality?"

  "She is now but was not aware of her existence when I first examined her."

  "Does she speak to Jan?"

  "No."

  "What is the relationship between Sharon and Jan?"

  "As I said, Sharon was unaware of Jan's existence. However, Jan has quite an extensive knowledge of what Sharon has done. She's an observer, but does not communicate with Sharon."

  "If Jan decided to do something, would Sharon be able to stop her?"

  "Since she didn't know Jan existed, I doubt she would have been able to stop her. And even if she suspected Jan's existence, she still might not have been able to control what Jan was doing, especially recently. The Jan personality has been growing progressively stronger over the past two years or so."

  "No further questions," Harriett said.

  Throughout the remainder of the first day of testimony Harriett presented two other evaluations by psychiatrists, both of whom had reached independent conclusions that Sharon Taggart was suffering from dissociative identity disorder brought about by childhood sexual and emotional abuse.

  As court adjourned for the day, Harriett sent a request to Judge Landers to meet with him privately in chambers. Landers granted the request and notified the prosecution of the meeting. As soon as Sharon had been taken from the courtroom, she and Nick joined Lassiter and his assistant, in Landers's office. Landers hung his robe on a hanger and ruffled his hair with both hands as he sat down behind his desk.

  "What can I do for you, Harriett?" Landers asked with a smile. Harriett had argued a number of cases before Howard Landers since moving to Austin. He was a friendly man who enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere in his courtroom. Despite that, he tolerated no shenanigans from attorneys. In her estimation, Landers was one of the fairest judges in the state.

  "The defense has completed its expert testimony, Judge Landers. Tomorrow, I will be calling two witnesses whose testimony is potentially embarrassing and certainly graphic in nature and content. For the sake of the witnesses, as well as my client, I am requesting that the courtroom be cleared during their testimony," Harriett said, handing Landers a list of scheduled witnesses.

  Landers looked over the list and handed it to Lassiter.

  "What's the basis for your request?" Landers said, leaning back and placing his hands behind his head.

  "These witnesses have only agreed to appear if they are given some sort of anonymity. Short of placing paper bags over their heads, clearing the courtroom seemed to be the only logical remedy," Harriett explained.

  Landers smiled. "What do you think, Mr. Lassiter? Do you object to having the courtroom cleared?"

  "The public has the expectation of open courts, your Honor," Lassiter said.

  "Yeah, yeah. I know all that idealistic law school bullshit," Landers said as he looked at Nick. "Sorry, Nick."

  "The families of the victims have a right to hear the testimony against Mrs. Taggart," Lassiter continued.

  "What they will hear, Mr. Lassiter, won't make them feel any better," Harriett said.

  "The State opposes the clearing of the courtroom, your Honor," the prosecutor finally said.

  "Why am I not surprised?" Landers chuckled. "Do you believe your witnesses will perjure themselves if they are faced with a full courtroom, Harriett?"

  "Possibly. They face public humiliation by testifying. If the courtroom is not cleared, I will be forced to treat them as hostile witnesses. Frankly, I prefer not to attack my own witnesses."

  "Who are these people...Larabee and Meier?" Landers asked.

  "High school acquaintances of the defendant's brother who are willing to testify to the extent and nature of the sexual abuse suffered by my client, and their complicity in that abuse."

  "Why would they agree to testify to such a thing? Just being solid citizens?" Landers frowned, not expecting an answer. "Where are you going with this, Harriett?"

  "My case is built around the fact that Mrs. Taggart has a personality disorder created by childhood abuse, which included sexual abuse of an incestuous nature. These witnesses will help establish that to the satisfaction of the jury."

  "You're not requesting the same anonymity for other witnesses, I see," Landers said.

  "Considering what I already know, Judge Landers, I have absolutely no desire to protect any of the other witnesses from public ridicule," Harriett said coolly.

  "That sounds a little vindictive, Harriett, and that's not like you."

  "I'm sorry, your Honor, but this is an unusual case."

  Landers looked at Lassiter and shrugged. "I'm going to grant the request to have the courtroom cleared for the testimony of these two witnesses. It's only important that the jury hear them, Mr. Lassiter."

  "Thank you, your Honor," Harriett said.

  As the attorneys left Landers's chambers, Nick said, "What about the others? You'll have to ask permission to treat them as hostile."

  "I know, but I didn't want to push my luck right now. When they balk at testifying about their actions, Howard will grant that request. He hates recalcitrant witnesses."

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  RISING FROM HER seat, Harriett said, "Your Honor, the defense calls Thaddeus Larabee to the stand."

  At Harriett's request, and over the objection of Sean Lassiter, Judge Landers had cleared the courtroom of spectators. The only persons remaining in the courtroom were Harriett and her client, the prosecution team, and the jury. Harriett remained standing as she waited for the bailiff to bring Thad Larabee to the witness stand. As she saw Larabee enter the courtroom, Harriett rested a hand on Sharon's shoulder and whispered to her.

  Larabee wore a gray two-piece business suit for his court appearance. As he passed Harriett, he glanced momentarily at Sharon. Waiting for the bailiff to administer the witness oath, Harriett looked over the questions she had prepared for Larabee and Meier. Although they were her
witnesses and their testimony would provide strong evidence that Sharon had been abused as a child, Harriett knew she would have a difficult time not showing her own feelings concerning what she already knew about the men.

  As soon as Larabee had given the court stenographer his full name and his Scottsdale, Arizona address, Harriett was ready to proceed. Larabee looked nervous as he waited.

  "Mr. Larabee, do you know the defendant Sharon Collins Taggart?"

  "Her brother and I were friends. We met in junior high and then attended high school together."

  "Would you characterize your friendship as a close one?"

  "There were four or five of us who always hung around together."

  "How old was Mrs. Taggart when you first met her?"

  "I don't know exactly. She was pretty young. Maybe six."

  "And how old were you at that time?"

  "About twelve or thirteen."

  "Would it be fair to say that you spent time at the Collinses' home?"

  "Objection," Lassiter said. "Leading."

  "I'll rephrase," Harriett said before Judge Landers could render a ruling. "When, if ever, were you at the Collinses' home, Mr. Larabee?"

  "Lots of times. We used to spend the night over there at first. Then later when we were in high school, Parker would throw parties at his house when his folks were out of town."

  "And where was Sharon during your visits?"

  "At home. Parker babysat her."

  "Who attended these parties?"

  "Just some of the guys we knew."

  "Any girls?"

  "Not usually."

  "What did you do at the parties at the Collinses' house?"

  "Watched TV, listened to music. Sometimes we would sneak in a few beers."

  "Was Sharon involved in these parties?"

  Larabee loosened his tie slightly in anticipation of where he knew the questions were leading.

  "Sharon," Larabee began, glancing toward Sharon, "she stayed in her room, mostly."

  "Why?"

  "Parker told her to wait there."

  "What was she waiting for, Mr. Larabee?"

  Larabee's eyes looked down at his hands as he cleared his throat.

  "She was waiting for us."

  "Why would you go to her room?"

  "We would just go up there to fool around."

  "I'd like for you to be very specific, Mr. Larabee. What do you mean exactly by fooling around?"

  "We molested her, okay?" Larabee said forcefully, looking at Harriett. "At first, it was just touching and looking when we were young, but it sort of got out of hand after that."

  "How old were you when these molestations began?"

  "About thirteen."

  "And Sharon was about six?" Harriett reiterated as she looked at the jury.

  "Yeah, about that," Larabee said quietly.

  "Was there penetration of Mrs. Taggart's genital area?"

  "Objection, leading," Lassiter said as he stood.

  "The witness is perfectly free to answer either yes or no, your Honor. The question did not direct the witness in either direction," Harriett responded.

  "Overruled. The witness may answer," Judge Landers said.

  "Was there penetration of Sharon Taggart's genital area, Mr. Larabee?"

  "Yes. Manually."

  "Were these molestations performed by more than one boy?" Harriett asked as she watched the faces of the jurors. They were riveted to Larabee's testimony.

  "Like I already said, there were four or five of us. We went to Sharon's bedroom together."

  "What generally occurred after you arrived in her bedroom?"

  "Parker always went in first. Then the rest of us would go in. Parker would have undressed Sharon and have her on the bed. The first time we just looked, but Parker told us it would be okay if we touched her after that, and he would have her touch us."

  "Did Sharon have a reaction to this touching?"

  "Not at first. I think Parker told her it was a game or something like that."

  "Objection, your Honor. Mr. Larabee's response is speculative."

  "Sustained. Ms. Markham?"

  "Was there ever a time when the nature of these visits changed?"

  "When we were around fifteen. None of us had any experience with sex, and we were just curious, you know."

  "Go on, Mr. Larabee."

  "We would go to Parker's house and have oral sex."

  "Were these acts performed on Mrs. Taggart or vice versa?"

  "By her, but she was still pretty young. About eight or nine."

  "Do you know how Mr. Collins persuaded his sister to perform oral sex on his friends?"

  "He told her it was what big girls did," Larabee replied with a frown.

  "Did he tell her this in front of you?"

  "Yes."

  "Can you describe for the court how this activity was carried out?"

  "We would line up, and Sharon would get on her knees in front of us and move from one of us to the other."

  "Sort of like a group blow job, Mr. Larabee?"

  Lassiter jumped to his feet before Larabee could answer, "I object, your Honor."

  "Withdrawn," Harriett said. "Were you alone with Mrs. Taggart when these incidents occurred?"

  "No. We were all there watching. A few times Sharon would get fussy and not want to continue, but Parker always convinced her to do all of us."

  "When, if ever, did these visits move beyond mere sodomy?"

  "I don't remember exactly, but by the time we graduated from high school we were all pretty frequent visitors at the Collinses' house."

  "When you were seventeen or eighteen and Sharon was about twelve or thirteen?"

  "Yes."

  "At that time were you and your friends sexually active with Sharon Taggart?"

  "Yes."

  "Were you alone with her in the room then?"

  Shaking his head, Larabee said, "Parker didn't want anyone alone with her because she might get hurt. We had to go at least in pairs. We would both have intercourse with her while we were there."

  "What was her reaction by this time?"

  "She was less cooperative as she grew older."

  "How did Mr. Collins handle her reticence?"

  "I don't know about with any of the others, but once while I was there, he grabbed her and threw her on the bed and held her down. He had to hold his hand over her mouth. That was the last time I ever went to the house. When I saw him holding her down like that, I couldn't do it. Sharon was crying and begging him to make us go away, but he just told her to calm down and do it. The quicker she let us, the sooner he would let her go."

  "How long did Mr. Collins use his sister to provide these free sexual favors for his friends?"

  "I don't know. I never went back after that day. But they weren't free."

  "Excuse me?" Harriett said. The very idea that the exchange of money might have been involved had never crossed her mind, and Jan hadn't mentioned it.

  "I said they weren't free. Well, at first the touching stuff was. But after we all got used to it and kept coming back wanting more, we had to pay him."

  "How much did you pay him?"

  "At first it was ten for the oral sex and later twenty-five for the intercourse."

  "Do you know what that kind of arrangement is more commonly called, Mr. Larabee?"

  "Parker was pimping his sister to his friends. Is that what you mean?"

  "Yes, thank you. Do you have any other direct knowledge about sexual activities involving Sharon Taggart?"

  "I ran into Parker over the Christmas holidays about a year and a half after we graduated, and he invited me over to his place for a party."

  "What do you believe he meant by that?"

  "The same as usual. Sex with Sharon."

  "How old would she have been at that point in time?"

  "About fourteen."

  "Did you ever have an occasion to see Sharon Taggart after the last time you were at her house?"

  "I ra
n into her at a mall once."

  "Did she speak to you at that time?"

  "Yes. We talked about school and a few things like that."

  "Did she appear to harbor any animosity toward you?"

  "No. I asked her if Parker's friends were still coming by the house, and she said they were. But it seemed like we were talking about two different things."

  "I have no further questions for this witness, your Honor.” Harriett said.

  "Mr. Lassiter. Cross?" Judge Landers asked.

  "Thank you, your Honor. Mr. Larabee, you stated that you only personally witnessed Mrs. Taggart resisting these sexual liaisons once, isn't that correct?"

  "Yes."

  "She never resisted your advances, did she?"

  "Well, no, but..."

  "That's sufficient, Mr. Larabee," Lassiter interrupted. "Isn't it possible that Mr. Collins was giving this money you say you paid him to his sister?"

  "That wasn't my impression."

  "But it is possible, isn't it?"

  "I guess so."

  "In fact, it's possible that collecting this money was her idea, isn't it?"

  "Objection," Harriett said. "The prosecution is asking the witness to speculate, and a child the age of my client at the time of these sexual liaisons could not possibly have had the requisite intent necessary to set up such a monetary venture."

  "Sustained."

  "Did she want to have sex with you?"

  "I don't know."

  "Did she ever kiss you voluntarily?"

  "Yes."

  "Did she ever resist what you were doing to her?"

  "No."

  "Did she touch your genitals?"

  "Yes."

  "And she was spontaneous in her reaction to you, isn't that correct?"

  "I don't know what you mean by spontaneous?"

  "Did she know what she was doing?"

  "She seemed to."

  "And weren't her physical reactions to sex the same as any young woman's?"

  "I don't know."

  "You had sexual intercourse with other young women in high school, didn't you?"

  "Yes."

  "And were the physical reactions of Sharon Taggart dissimilar from those of those young women?"

  "No."

  "So Sharon Taggart was sexually well versed by the age of thirteen?"

  "I suppose."

  "She knew what to do to turn you on, didn't she, Mr. Larabee?"