The Exorcism of Emily Rose Page #2

Good.

So do I.

Have a good night, counselor.

Let the record show that the defendant | and his counsel are present...

...and that the jury is seated.

- Mr. Thomas, you may begin. | - Thank you, Your Honor.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. | My name is Ethan Thomas.

I'm the assistant district attorney, | and I represent the people.

In the case before you, | the evidence will show...

...that the victim had a serious medical | condition that demanded treatment.

We will prove that the victim's | condition rendered her physically...

...and psychologically incapable | of caring for herself.

Her care...

...was then wholly entrusted...

...to that man, the defendant, | Father Richard Moore.

She became his responsibility...

...and he betrayed | that responsibility...

...by persuading her to abandon | her medical treatment...

...in favor of religious treatment:

A ritual exorcism, | performed by the defendant...

...allegedly to cure the victim | by ridding her of demonic forces.

We will demonstrate | that this course of action...

...directly resulted | in the victim's death.

I said a moment ago | that I represent the people.

We all know what that means, | but it's a little abstract, isn't it?

Miss Bruner, | the attorney for the defense...

...is seated right next | to the man she represents.

And I stand here | to represent the people.

That's not really why | I stand here today.

I'm here on behalf of someone | who can't sit at a table...

...and look at you every day | and gain your sympathy...

...someone who can't take the stand | to testify...

...and tell you what happened | in her own words.

A young girl...

...that could've been your daughter.

Could've been mine.

A girl who trusted | Father Richard Moore with her life.

This is what she looked like...

...before the defendant began | his religious treatment.

This is a photograph taken of her | on the day that she died.

I stand here for Emily Rose...

...who died horribly...

...at age 19.

You won't be able to see Emily sitting | here day after day during this trial.

But I hope you'll remember her | as she was when she was alive...

...and full of...

...hopes and dreams.

And as she was when Father | Richard Moore was finished with her...

...and left her to die.

Thank you.

Is the defense prepared | to make its opening statement?

I'd like to reserve | my opening statement...

...until the presentation | of the defense's case.

As is your privilege.

Prosecution may begin.

That was already my plan.

Thank you, Your Honor. | The people call Dr. Edith Vogel.

I've known Emily her entire life. | I took care of all of the Rose girls.

Can you describe Emily | as you knew her growing up?

She was a bit sickly | in her early years.

She stayed inside a lot, | reading, learning music.

How did she feel about | going to school?

Objection. | The witness is not a psychiatrist.

I'll rephrase. Did you talk to Emily | about going off to college?

Yes. She told me she was excited...

...but nervous that she would be away | from her family in the big city.

This was an overwhelming change | for her.

Did you stay in touch | after she went away?

Yes. She wrote me a letter | saying that she'd been to a dance...

...and she'd met a boy | named Jason.

She didn't want her mother | to know this...

...because her mother did not | approve of dancing...

...and had warned her | about the boys at school.

Did Emily communicate with you again | last fall after you received the letter?

Actually, it was her mother.

She telephoned me...

...waking me out of a deep sleep | at 4 in the morning.

a payphone on the university campus.

she was quite hysterical.

sobbed uncontrollably.

enough to tell me what happened.

that weekend.

Her roommate had gone home.

She had awakened...

something burning.

but she got up...

... afraid there was a fire.

at the university hospital?

I am chairman of | the Department of Neurology.

And after you heard | about the dorm-room incident...

...what were your initial thoughts?

At first, I thought perhaps | Emily had taken illegal drugs.

Some type of hallucinogen.

But we ran tests and found no trace | of drugs in her system.

And the more she explained | the incident to me...

...the more I began to suspect | something else.

Epilepsy results from uncontrolled | electrical activity in the brain.

In a severe, or grand mal, seizure...

for several minutes...

of all the muscles of the body.

suffering such a seizure...

the things that Emily described?

like an extreme pressure on the body.

with all that brain activity...

...for a person to perceive all sorts | of strange and violent things.

So suspecting that Emily was | epileptic, how did you proceed?

I administered | an electroencephalograph.

What did the EEG reveal?

It showed a possible epileptic focus | in the patient's left temporal lobe.

Did this require | a specific treatment?

Yes, I began a medication schedule | for Emily with the drug Gambutrol.

I also advised regular follow-up | examinations and further tests.

But Emily failed to keep | her follow-up appointments with me.

She give any reason for discontinuing | these appointments?

Yes, she told me she was convinced | that her condition was a spiritual one.

It was the conviction of her priest, | she said, and she shared his beliefs.

Was it your impression | that Emily had placed her care...

...entirely...? | - Leading the witness.

Sustained.

After the end of October...

...did you ask Emily | why she had stopped...

...filling her Gambutrol | prescriptions?

Yes. She said that Father Moore had | suggested she stop taking the drug.

And what, in your medical opinion...

...was the result | of Father Moore's suggestion?

I believe Father Moore's suggestion | killed her.

Objection, Your Honor!

The witness is asserting outrageous | conclusions based on pure hearsay.

Technically correct, but I'll allow it | as part of his expert opinion testimony.

Thank you, Dr. Mueller.

Your witness.

You said you observed a possible | epileptic focus in the temporal lobe.

Doesn't this imply what you observed | may not have been an epileptic focus?

Yes, that's also possible.

Would Father Moore's advice to stop | taking Gambutrol be good advice...

...if Emily were, in fact, | not epileptic?

Of course. But that's not | the case here. She was epileptic.

Really.

When Emily saw objects move | on their own...

...and felt an invisible presence | on top of her...

...was she experiencing symptoms | typical of epilepsy?

Not typical, no.

Are they typical indications | of any other conditions?

- Say, for example, psychosis? | - Yes, I would say that's correct.

But isn't psychosis an entirely different | medical condition from epilepsy?

- Yes, in my... | - So aren't you selectively choosing...

...what parts of Emily's experiences | fit your epilepsy diagnosis...

...while ignoring those which | indicate something else?

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