"And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?"
Chip Bennett Prayers please. Mom in ICU. Minor heart attack last night, 99% blocked artery, stent put in. Dr says should be okay now. Thank You, Jesus! [chip_bennett].
Chip Bennett Chip Prayers please. Mom in ICU. Minor heart attack last night, 99% blocked artery, stent put in. Dr says should be okay now. Thank You, Jesus!.
Chip Bennett Chip Good news for my Bengals fan friends/fam: No Roethlisberger tomorrow night. Dixon starting QB for Steelers vs. Ravens. /via @Adam_Schefter..
Chip Bennett Good news for my Bengals fan friends/fam: No Roethlisberger tomorrow night. Dixon starting QB for Steelers vs. Ravens. /via @Adam_Schefter [chip_bennett].
Chip Bennett Dear Twitter: I don't care about your "Retweet" feature. I don't want to see tweets of people I don't follow appearing in my timeline. #fail [chip_bennett].
Chip Bennett Chip Dear Twitter: I don't care about your "Retweet" feature. I don't want to see tweets of people I don't follow appearing in my timeline. #fail..
Quietly, Adult Stem Cells (ASCs) continue to make more advances in therapeutic treatments, thanks to the recent breakthrough with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), in which differentiated human skin, adipose (fat), or other cells are induced into reverting into a pluripotent state that essentially mimics embryonic pluripotent stem cells. These iPSCs have recently been induced into differentiating into heart cells, repairing damaged, premature lung cells, and treating cancer and a host of other disorders.
Heart Cells
Israeli researchers have induced iPSCs derived from human skin cells into forming heart cells, complete with a heartbeat:
Gepstein and his team from Technion's Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Rambam Medical Center used reprogrammed iPSCs derived from healthy human subjects' skin cells with the characteristics of pluripotent embryonic stem cells. They were then able to convert them into heart cells with all the necessary properties such as expression of heart-related genes, spontaneous electrical activity, mechanical contraction, and response to various hormones such as adrenaline.
The researchers state that therapeutic uses such as repairing damaged heart cells or treating various genetic heart diseases may be 10 to 20 years away; however, the current research is incredibly valuable:
Published in the latest issue of Circulation, the findings by Professor Lior Gepstein of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology could make it possible to clinically repair damaged human hearts.
Such an application is at least 10 to 20 years away, says Gepstein, but the process can already be utilized for in-depth study of genetic diseases and the development of personalized drugs for irregular heartbeats and other inherited disorders.
And, of course, such a therapy has an inherent advantage over an embryonic stem cell (ESC) derived therapy:
Taking a patient's own cells and turning them into iPSCs for use in tissue repair and regeneration would also eliminate the risk of rejection by the body.
A study now published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine demonstrates that bone marrow–derived, multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) may have therapeutic benefits in treating lung diseases such as BPD and pulmonary hypertension. The study was conducted at the University of Alberta, with collaborators from McGill University as well as labs in France and the US. Led by Dr. Bernard Thébaud, the study used both in vitro and in vivo experimental models to test the potential benefits of delivering stem cells to the damaged lungs.
Thebaud_sm “We found in the in vitro tests that the MSCs were attracted toward oxygen damaged lung tissue over that of normal lung tissue,” said Dr. Thébaud. “This was extremely encouraging and predictive of our in vivo tests, where we found that the delivery of stem cells to the lungs of diseased rats improved lung structure and function and attenuated pulmonary hypertension, so that the rats had an increased rate of survival and greater exercise tolerance.”
“More exciting though was the finding that MSCs did not as initially thought, replace the damaged lung cells. Rather, the MSCs seem to protect resident lung cells from being destroyed. Our conclusion is that the stem cells contributed to the prevention of lung injury, in part by producing protective factors for resident lung cells.”
Babies who are born extremely premature – before 28 weeks – cannot breathe on their own. In order to help the babies' lungs to develop, neonatal doctors give them oxygen and drugs to help them breathe.
These treatments contribute to a chronic lung disease known as Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). At present there is no treatment to heal the lungs of these premature babies.
50% of babies born before 28 weeks will get chronic lung disease. Case studies have shown that as these babies grow up, they continue to struggle with lung disease, coping with reduced lung function and early aging of their lungs.
The researcher, Dr. Bernard Thébaud, hopes for this therapy to reap significant benefits within a decade [emphasis added]:
"The dilemma we face with these tiny babies is a serious one. When they are born too early, they simply cannot breathe on their own. To save the babies' lives, we put them on a ventilator and give them oxygen, leaving many of them with chronic lung disease," says Dr. Thébaud. "Before the next decade is out I want to put a stop to this devastating disease."
Now, such incurable diseases can be treated by Stem Cell Therapy. Where Stem cells are being taken from patient’s own bone marrow, Adipose derived fat stem cells, peripheral blood derived stem cells or Umbilical cord blood-derived & placenta-derived immune rejection free stem cells. No. of experts in different parts of the world say Germany, Mexico, Ukraine, India, China and many more have treated thousands of patients suffering from incurable disease improving their Life quality.
Latest research has shown that stem cell therapy has the potency to treat more than 75 life threatening diseases including cancers, Thalasemia, Blood disorders, Immune deficiencies, connective tissue disorders and metabolic/storage disorders.
More than the existing uses of cord blood stem cells, research indicates that these stem cells someday may be used to treat numerous other diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, diseases of heart and liver, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury and stroke.
...
Another research has suggested that skin tissue derived from stem cells can be effectively used for the treatment of burn victims.
The future is indeed bright, as ASC and iPSC research continues to produce valuable results and potential treatments and therapies, without any of the ethical concerns of embryo-destructive stem cell research.
Chip Bennett 16hr Brine: check. Turkey stuffed and in the oven: check. Probe set for 155F: check. Dinner: t-minus 7 hours. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! [chip_bennett].
Chip Bennett Chip 16hr Brine: check. Turkey stuffed and in the oven: check. Probe set for 155F: check. Dinner: t-minus 7 hours. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!.
Chip Bennett Chip Read 'em and weep: 61MB of proof that global warming is junk science, a hoax, and a conspiracy http://bit.ly/7d4h59 /via @GatewayPundit..
Chip Bennett Chip A more informative local link to the #heatherellis plea bargain: http://bit.ly/4WkZzq 1 year probation, 4 days jail, anger mgmt, court costs..
It would appear that Heather Ellis wasn't so confident of her innocence after all, after seeing the evidence presented at trial. While the jury was deliberating, Heather Ellis took a plea deal:
The prosecution agreed to drop two felony counts of assault on a law enforcement officer through the plea deal, while Ellis agreed to a plea of guilt regarding the two misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace and resisting arrest.
The terms of the deal include the sentence that Ellis must serve one year of unsupervised probation, attend at least two hours of anger management classes and serve four days in the Dunklin County Jail, which Judge Joe Satterfield referred to as "Shock Detention."
The big news this week in St. Louis (h/t: Lucianne) is the Heather Ellis case, which evokes the memory of the Henry Louis Gates, Jr. debacle earlier this year. In this case, Ellis went on trial this week (day two coverage, day three coverage) for a January, 2007, incident that began with Ellis line-jumping at a Wal-Mar and ended with her disturbing peace, resisting arrest, and assaulting two police officers.
Of course, the liberal media and race-baiters are positioning Ellis' case as one in which she is facing 15 years in prison for "cutting in line". After a news blackout of two and a half years (until the NAACP got involved), the story suddenly became newsworthy, as Ellis alleged that her treatment at the hands of the Kennett Police was racially motivated.
So what happened? Details of the account vary according to the source (see any of the several blog posts regarding the situation), but some details appear to be undisputed: Ellis switched check-out lanes, cutting to the front of the line to which she switched. This line-cutting resulted in a dispute between Ellis and the other patrons in line. The store manager was called, and asked Ellis to leave. Ellis refused, and the store security guard (a Kennett Police Officer) called for police assistance. The police arrived, and instructed Ellis to leave the premises. Ellis continued to act belligerently, and after being warned, was placed under arrest for disturbing the peace and trespassing. Ellis resisted arrest, and in the process kicked one police officer and punched another in the mouth. As a result, a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest and two counts of felony assault of a police officer were added to four counts of disturbing the peace and one count of trespassing.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: How do you explain the two very different versions of what happened that day? Your daughter`s and the cops`?
ELLIS: Well, actually, it`s a lie being told. My daughter was sent there to get a few items for my wife. The actual arrest said that she was cursing. She knowingly disturbed the peace of Kay McDaniel (ph), who was the night manager. It was not about an issue of cutting in line.
First of all, my daughter is not known to be a curser. And previously, she had accepted Christ as her savior, and she had been raised in a Christian home and that`s simply not true.
And also, if they would release the tape from Wal-Mart, it would clear up the whole matter.
...
VELEZ-MITCHELL: ...It`s not like -- neither of these cases, somebody went out and tried to do something wrong like steal. In your daughter`s case, the NAACP has gotten involved. Do you think there`s racism here?
ELLIS: I know there`s racism. It is blatant, overt racism.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. What are you going to do about it? Apparently, you were offered a plea deal, and your daughter decided not to accept it.
ELLIS: She decided not to sign, because she was told never admit guilt when you are innocent. We plan to fight it, as we have. The NAACP has been involved. The SCOC and ACLU, and we`re marching on.
Thus, her defense is, in other words: it's all a lie. The cops are racist. She couldn't have done what they said, because she's a Christian. The left have taken this theme and run with it - particularly the racism angle. The NAACP, ACLU, and Al Sharpton are all getting involved, and they're marching and demonstrating.
And here is is Ellis' account of the events that transpired:
It was near closing time when Ellis and her cousin David got on line to check out at the Kennett Wal Mart. There were two checkout lanes open. Ellis got on one line, David on the other. When David’s line moved quicker, Ellis claims she moved over and joined him...
At least two white customers reportedly objected to Ellis joining David on line. One, according to Ellis, pushed and verbally accosted her. An off-duty Kennett Police officer working as a Wal Mart security guard came over to the line. Ellis claims she told the cashier to go ahead and ring the upset customer out ahead of her. By Ellis’s account however, the cashier, after ringing the upset customer out, refused to ring Ellis out, instead proceeding to ring other customers out. The Wal Mart shift manager walked over and told Ellis to leave the store. By all accounts she refused to leave and demanded to be rung out like the other customers, hence she was charged with trespassing. Ellis subsequently wrote, “I felt like I was part of the civil rights movement — I thought I had traveled in a time capsule and was living in Mississippi in the 1960s.” The guard radioed his fellow police officers. David telephoned his mother. Police and relatives were now en-route to the stand-off.
The police arrived and Ellis was allowed to pay for her goods. According to Ellis, however, the cashier refused to give her the change she was due. The arresting officer claims that the Wal Mart shift manager demanded Ellis be removed from the store, but that Ellis told him, “I’m not going nowhere until I get my f***ing change back.” Ellis denies the language the arrest report attributes to her, but both she and the police are in agreement that Wal-Mart was withholding her change...
In her statement, Ellis wrote that she was hopeful the officers would give her “a little support” with her demand for her change. She added that “they didn’t provide any...”
Once outside of the store, according to Ellis’s subsequent complaint, five Kennett police officers proceeded to torment her with racist and misogynist slurs as she and David walked to their car. Ellis claims that while still walking to her car, she suggested to the police that they instead harass “drug dealers and crack heads,” rather than “taxpaying citizens.” ...As her aunt arrived by car, the officers arrested Ellis — quite violently, by her account, lifting her off the ground and tossing her into a police car as her aunt helplessly stood by and watched while herself allegedly being threatened with arrest. Heather’s mother arrived at the police station in time to witness what she describes as her daughter being pulled out of the car by her hair and slammed against a wall...
Others are straining the narrative to the breaking point. Race-Baiter Boyce Watkins attempts to cast aspersions on the police report (which includes sworn testimonies of two police officers, the store manager, and five store customers) by appealing to the alleged lack of credibility of the justice system as a whole, and likewise tries to cast aspersions on the allegedly racist town of Kennett, MO, by mentioning a racial attack on a black boy in "the same area", in "nearby" Poplar Bluff. In reality, Poplar Bluff is 50 miles away from Kennett - or, roughly the distance between Baltimore, MD, and Alexandria, VA; Cincinnati, OH, and Dayton, OH; Indianapolis, IN, and Greensburg, IN; or Evanston, IL, and Kenosha, WI.
In other words, what happens in Poplar Bluff really has no bearing whatsoever on what happens in Kennett. But the race-baiters in the Heather Ellis case would lead you to believe otherwise.
According to the police report, the following summarizes the written and signed statements of the witnesses:
According to statements made and obtained - On Saturday - January 6th, 2007 - Heather Ellis - was and had been a customer at the Wal-Mart store. Heatehr Ellis apparently collected some items of merchandise, and Heather Ellis then went to check-out aisle #13 at the front of the store. Instead of waiting in line behind the other waiting customers, Heather Ellis - broke in line - as she walked to the front of the line, to the cash register attendant, apparently because she did not want to wait in line.
The cash register attendant had already began checking out the next in line customer. The cash register attendant had activated the conveyer belt in order to advance the merchandise of the next in line customer, to be scanned and checked out. Heather Ellis reported became angry because of this, and Heather Ellis reportedly began shoving the merchandise back down the conveyer belt. Witnesses and Victimes tated that, Heather Ellis became very belligerent by yelling, cursing, issuing threats, and issuing many deerogatory comments to several of the persons present. Reportedly, Heather Ellis at one point attempted to advance toward the attendant and store assistand manager in a very hostile and aggressive manner. Management of the Wal-mart store gave numerous verbal communications to heather Ellis to leave the store and the property. Heather Ellis refused to leave after being told several time [sic] to do so.
Apparently, since Heather Ellis was out of control, and since Heather Ellis refused to leave the business and property, the Kennett Police Department was contacted by on-duty security officer - Officer Craig Moody [DSN: 931], of the Kennett Police Department.
And here is the officer's account of what happened when Moody called for police assistance:
On - Saturday - January 6th, 2007 - at approximately 23:30 hours, Officers of the Kennett Polie Department received a radio communication from Officer Craig Moody [DSN: 931] of the Kennett Police Department. Officer Craig Moody was requesting the assistance of other Police Officers. Officer Craig Moody requested that additional Police Officers respond to the business of Wal-Mart, which is located at 1500 First Street. This request for assistance was in reference to, and due to an unruly and belligerent customer.
Kennett Police Officers; A.W. Fisher [DSN: 920], Joe D. Stewart [DSN 943], Allen Campbell [DSN: 942], arrived at Wal-Mart at the same time.
Upon our arrival, all Officers entered into the business. As I, Officer A. W. fisher entered into the business, I could immediately hear the voice of a female, that was taling loudly. I could hear the female yelling, and cursing. It was easy to determine who the person was, that was causing the disturbance. I also saw Officer Craig Moody standing by check-out [cash register] aisle number 13. Officer Moody summoned all Officer's [sic] to come to his location.
As I arrived at teh check-out [cash register] number 13, I was immediately informed by - Kay McDaniel [On-duty Assistant Manager for Wal-Mart], that she wanted the black female that was yelling and cursing, to be removed, and escorted from the store, and off the property. I then informed the black female that, she had to leave the store and the property immediately, and cease causing any further disturbances. The black female turned and yelled, "I ain't going no where until I get my [ed: expletive] change back". So I stood by while the cashier attendant handed the belligerent female her change.
NOTE [3]: The black female, which was causing the distrubance and was eventually placed under arrest, was subsequently identified as - Heather R. Ellis.
Heather Ellis continued to act in a very belligerent, angry, hostile, and aggressive manner. Heather Ellis refused to comply with my repeated requests to calm down, and cease causing a scene and distrubance. Heather Ellis then turned her anger and aggression toward me [Officer Fisher], and all other Police Officers which were present. Heatehr Ellis then began yelling, and cursing, and issuing derogatory comments toward this officer. She then took her purchased items, which were in bags, and she began walking toward one of the exits of the building. However, Heather Ellis continued to yell, curse, and issue verbal insults toward this Officer. Heather Ellis would walk a little way, and then she would again turn and continue to yell, curse, and issue more insults. Heather Ellis continued to refuse to comply with all repeated requests to just calm down, and stop continuing to cause a scene, and disturbance. I tried to convey to Heatehr Ellis [as best I could], that all she had to do was leave peacefully. However, it was incredibly and abundantly obvious that Heather Ellis had absolutely no desire and/or intention of conmplying with any and all request [sic] by this Officer. Any and all attempts to convey logic to Heather ellis were unsuccessful.
Heather Ellis would not simply leave the property. She continued to be belligerent, angry, loud, hostile and aggressive throughout the front of the store. Due to the way that Heather Ellis was conducting herself, she [heather Ellis] was obviously disrupting the business of this store. I kept trying to calm Heatehr Ellis, and I was trying to convey simple and basic logic to her, that all she had to do was just simply leave the store in a calm and peaceful manner. Heather Ellis was obviously not receptive to these simple requests, and she told me about it in the same loud and belligerent manner in which she had been conducting herself.
I, Officer, A. W. Fisher, then informed Heather Ellis that, if she did not cease causing a scene and distrubance, and if she did not simply leave the property, that she would then be placed under arrest. After issuing this final request, Heather Ellis [again] turned toward this Officer and she [again] continued to yell, curse, and refuse to leave the property. She then issued a threat to assault me [officer Fisher] by saying that if I even tried to put my hands on her and if I tried to arrest her, she was going to "beat my ass".
Heather Ellis was given every opportunity to comply with the Officers [sic] repeated requests for her to simply leave the property of the business of Wal-Mart.
Once it became abundantly, and obviously clear that heather Ellis had absolutely no desire and/or intentions of complying with all of my repeated requests, I then informed Heather Ellis that she was now under arrest. I then grasped the right arm sleeve of her black leather jacket, and I was attempting to deploy my handcuffs, in order to place Heather Ellis under arrest. Immediately, when I grasped her right arm sleeve, Heather Ellis immediately became combative, and began fighting this Officer. Heather Ellis began swinging wildly toward this Officer with her arms and fist. Heather Ellis refused to comply with all requests for her to stop fighting, and stop resisting arrest. heather Ellis continued to fight, yell, and curse. Heather Ellis was completely out of control.
Sgt. Joe D. Stewart, and Officer Phillip Caldwell, then came to assist me [Officer Fisher] with this arrest, as i was having to fight and struggle with Heather Ellis. All three officers continued to have to struggle with Heather Ellis. Heather Ellis still wouldn ot comply with all of this Officers [sic] request for her to stop fighting and stop resiting arrest.
Heather Ellis would continue to resist arrest by stiffening her body, arms, and legs in an attempt to prevent the arresting Officers from placing the handcuffs on her, and placing her under arrest. Then, Heather Ellis would [again] swing her arms and fist, and kick her feet in an attempt to prevent being arrested, or attempting to break free and flee from the grasp of the Officers. At one point during the struggle with Heather Ellis, she [Heather Ellis] kicked me [Officer Fisher], and she [heather Ellis] struck Sgt. Joe D. Stewart in the mouth. During the entire struggle with Heather Ellis, the Officers issued repeated requests for her to stop fighting, and stop resisting arrest.
Finally, the Police Offices were finally able to place the hands of Heather Ellis behind her back, and then we were able to place the handcuffs on the wrists of Heather Ellis.
However, as were wre trying to walk her to, and place her in the back seat of the patrol car, heather ellis would continue her efforts to resist by refusing to walkforward. heather Ellis would [again] stiffen her legs and body, and she would [again] refuse to comly with the Officers [sic] requests to walk to the patrol car. Officers had to actually make Heather Ellis walk forward, so that we could finally place her into the backseat of the patrol car. Heather Ellis would continue to yell, curse, issue verbal threats, and issue her derogatory commenhts. Heather Ellis continued to act in the same belligerent, hostile, and aggressive manners.
Heather Ellis was then transported to the Dunklin County Jail, where she was processed, booked and incarcerated.
Later in the shift, the Kennett Police Department received a call from the Dunklin County Sheriff's Office, informing us that, Heather Ellis was demanding medical treatment. Heather Ellis was then released from custody, so that she could go and seek whatever medical attention she desired.
I have not found any medical records to have been released, either of the two officers that Ellis allegedly assaulted, or of Ellis, who was released from custody to seek medical treatment, though now-recused prosecutor Stephen P. Sokoloff offers the following information in a response to the above Ellis account:
Further despite your report that ther were no injured victims, one officer sustained a split lip from a punch thrown by the "innocent" Ms. Ellis and another a bruised shin where she kicked him. Furhter, the E.R. records of Ms. Ellis' visit show no visible injuries...
Of course, the jury will try the case and will determine the outcome. But let us think critically for a moment.
What is more likely:
Heather Ellis cut in line, acting belligerently as she shoved multiple customers' merchandise out of the way in an attempt to have her items checked out. The customers behind her complained, which prompted the cashier to summon the manager. The cashier continued to check-out the customers in line, refusing to check-out Ellis' merchandise, while awaiting the arrival of the manager, which further angered Ellis. The manager, upon arrival and seeing a belligerent Ellis and a line of customers upset at her line-cutting, asked Ellis to leave. Ellis angrily refused and berated the manager, cashier, and customers, which prompted the security guard to request police assistance. The police arrived, oversaw Ellis' merchandise being checked-out, and then told her that the manager asked her to leave, therefore she needed to leave or would be considered to be trespassing. Ellis, already angry, continued to berate not only the manager, cashier, and customers, but also the police. The police attempted to calm Ellis and request that she leave the store in peace. After several attempts, the police inform Ellis that if she does not comply, she will be placed under arrest for trespassing and disturbing the peace. Ellis threatens the cop, and continues to shout and curse. The officers inform Ellis that she is under arrest, and Ellis angrily resists, kicking one officer and punching another. Once handcuffed, Ellis continues to resist, forcing the officers to physically move her to the police car and into the backseat. Or:
Ellis moved from one line into another, fully expecting that the customers already in line would have no problem with her doing so. The customer behind her bagan pushing and shoving her, and the customers in line started issuing racial slurs at her. The cashier refused to help Ellis, and instead called the manager, who demanded that she leave and also issued racial slurs at her. The manager called the police, who also racially insulted Ellis, demanded that she leave, and then jumped her once she was outside the store. The police then roughed her up as the put her in the police car, and then threw her up against the wall when they got her to the police station.
For those keeping track at home: the first scenario has no less than eight unrelated witnesses, and the second scenario has up to two of Ellis' family members each of whom potentially witnessed different parts of the scenario.
Testimony concluded in the trial today, during which time Ellis took the stand. The trial today included this little gem:
Blackmun said she arrived in the parking lot at about the time officers began using force on Ellis. Ellis said Kennett officer Albert Fisher grabbed her by the back of the shoulder with such force that he ripped her leather jacket and swung her around. Other officers became involved and forced Ellis against the squad car, she said.
She was taken to jail and released early the next morning.
Once released, she went to a hospital emergency room. Dr. Benjamin Mozie testified that Ellis told him she had been assaulted and complained of neck pain, wrist injuries and a headache.
Defense attorney Scott Rosenblum presented evidence that had been discovered only Friday morning, when Ellis saw the leather jacket for the first time since the incident. Inside one pocket were documents from police and the hospital. Both, Rosenblum said, had blood stains from injuries to Ellis' wrist or hand.
Under questioning from prosecutor Morley Swingle, Mozie said he saw no evidence of any injury that would lead to bleeding. He also saw no outward signs of neck injury, but said Ellis' wrists were bruised.
Imagine that! Ellis hadn't touched her leather jacket in three years! Even though she now claims that it was ripped in the assault. Never mind that said jacket, if allegedly ripped in the assault, would have been the defense's Exhibit A as evidence of the allegedly rough treatment Ellis received.
(By the way, I wonder if forensic analysis could conclusively determine how long ago the jacket was ripped, and whether or not a human hand could have caused the damage?)
And - wouldn't you know it? - only just today, Ellis "discovered" that inside the jacket pocket were documents that were "bloodied" from Ellis' injuries. Glory be!
Unfortunately, the ER doctor who treated Ellis that night said that he saw no evidence of any injury that would lead to bleeding.
Quite the conundrum, really.
Read through the testimony. The defense has presented zero evidence that the police assaulted Ellis. The defense has presented zero evidence that the prosecuting attorney, four police officers, the store manager, the cashier, and four customers all are racist, and have conspired against Ellis.
The defense's entire strategy appears to be trying to prove that Ellis' cousin was "saving her spot" in line, appealing to the witnesses' clouded memories (nearly three years after the incident), and implying that their testimony was tampered with by Sokoloff.
I think the evidence speaks for itself, and clearly. By now the trial has likely gone to jury, so we will hear the outcome soon enough.