CLEARFIELD – The second day of trial for Frederick St. John, facing hundreds of counts of sexually related crimes, almost ended before it began. Defense attorney Chris Pentz asked for a dismissal of charges due to the fact that he did not get medical records from the district attorney’s office as part of his discovery.
After waiting an hour for the material to get to the courthouse, Paul E. Cherry, presiding judge, called for an early recess.
Once the trial got under way, Pentz’s motion for dismissal was denied, and the alleged victim in the case took the stand under continued cross examination from yesterday. She spent nearly two-and-a-half hours on the stand, answering questions regarding specific dates that the woman, then a girl, referenced as times during a two-year time span when sexual abuse or rape occurred.
“There were times I found it futile to fight back,” said the woman at one point under cross-examination. “It was easier to comply. I just gave up.”
At one point the woman broke down on the stand when asked by Clearfield County District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr. asked her if she forgave St. John. The woman did.
“I just wanted him to change and stop doing what he was doing to me,” said the woman.
The jury also heard from a social worker who explained various aspects of sexual abuse, and a forensic scientist who explained how he searched for semen samples on clothes, bed sheets and paper towels.
The last witness to take the stand on Thursday was D.N.A expert Sabina Panzener-Kaelin.
Panzener-Kaelin stated that cell, both semen and non-semen samples taken from the woman’s pants, bed sheet and paper towels were D.N.A. matches for St. John.
The trial will continue Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. at the Clearfield County Courthouse. Log-on to GantDaily for updates.
