Sedona Angel Valley Sweat Lodge Trial Update

[Sedona]

http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=92452

Witness tells of troubles at three Ray-led sweat lodges; judge denies defense motion for mistrial

CAMP VERDE - A Wednesday morning ruling by Judge Warren Darrow rocked James Arthur Ray's defense team to its foundations in their client's manslaughter trial and led to a defense motion for mistrial, which the judge peremptorily denied.

At issue was the long-contested issue of evidence relating to prior Ray-led sweat lodges at Angel Valley. In a Feb. 3 ruling, Darrow ordered that "without medical testimony connecting the observations of physical and mental distress exhibited by the pre-2009 sweat lodge participants with a risk of death and without evidence of the defendant's knowledge of the actual type of risk, the evidence is not relevant to the stated purpose."

Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk argued Wednesday that the medical testimony has taken place and that the alleged suffering of participants in Ray's pre-2009 sweat lodge ceremonies established a pattern she said was inescapable: that when Ray led a sweat lodge at the Angel Valley Retreat Center, people got sick, and that when others did so, no one got sick.

SNIP

Suddenly unfettered, Polk was face to face with a perfect witness from whom to elicit testimony about prior sweat lodges.

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