Chapter 12 - MY MISTAKE BECOMES A PROBLEMDefense counsel moved quickly.
Shane retained attorney Peter Madsen.
Smart.
Experienced.
Madsen learned I had asked Lila:
“Was Uncle Shane here?”
before her formal interview.
Then he learned Judith had repeatedly discussed Shane’s visits around the child.
He argued Lila’s later references to “Uncle Shane music” were contaminated.
He was partly right.
Not that the statement was false.
That adult suggestion complicated how much weight could safely be placed on it.
I wrote a supplemental report.
No excuses.
Exact question.
Exact timing.
Exact answer.
Vega said:
“This is why we build cases with corroboration.”
Still, I felt sick.
Lila’s most important statement remained spontaneous:
Daddy is under the floor.
Sometimes he talks to me.
That predated any Shane suggestion.
But identifying who controlled the music was less clean.
The prosecution would eventually avoid pretending otherwise.
My mistake did not destroy the case.
May you like
It forced us to be more disciplined.
Sometimes accountability is simply refusing to hide the flaw that helps the other side.
