BOB, GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. WE’RE HEARING SOME POINTED QUESTIONS FROM BOTH SIDES FOR PROSECUTION WITNESSES. NOW ON HIS SECOND DAY OF TESTIMONY. THAT’S DOCTOR RYAN DARBY, WHO’S BACK ON THE STAND. HE’S A BEHAVIOR NEUROLOGIST WHO DID THE MOST RECENT EXAMINATION OF BOWERS, AND HE’S CONTINUING HIS TESTIMONY AS A PROSECUTION REBUTTAL WITNESS. DEFENSE ATTORNEY MICHAEL BERGER CONTINUED HIS CROSS-EXAMINATION OF DARBY CONTINUING TO QUESTION WHETHER DARBY IS ACTING AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE PROSECUTION. THE DEFENSE QUESTIONED WHETHER INFORMATION FROM BOWERS CHILDHOOD MEDICAL HISTORY SHOULD HAVE PROMPTED DARBY TO SEEK MEDICAL TESTS FOR BOWERS. DARBY SAID FOR SOMEONE WITH ONGOING SYMPTOMS, THE SITUATION WOULD BE DIFFERENT. BUT HE SAID, NOT FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT DISPLAYED SYMPTOMS FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS. DEFENSE ATTORNEY BURT AGAIN RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT DARBY’S $350 AN HOUR FEE AND THE MORE THAN $150 HE SPENT ON THE CASE SPENT ON THIS CASE SO FAR. PROSECUTOR ERIC OLSON TOOK UP THAT TOPIC IN HIS CROSSCHX EXAMINATION OR HIS REDIRECT QUESTIONING FOR THE DOCTOR. HE ASKED IF IT’S STANDARD FOR EXPERTS TO BE PAID FOR THEIR WORK. AND DARBY SAID THAT IT’S FAIRLY TYPICAL FOR BOTH THE DEFENSE AND THE PROSECUTION. OLSON ASKED IF EXPERTS WITH MORE EXPERIENCE ARE PAID MORE THAN WITNESSES WITH LESS EXPERIENCE. DARBY SAID HE BELIEVES SO, AND HE BELIEVES THAT THE DEFENSE SPECIALISTS IN THIS CASE WOULD BE PAID MORE THAN HIM. IN ANSWER TO OLSON’S QUESTIONS, DARBY TESTIFIED THAT NOT EVERY CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IS A SYMPTOM OF A BRAIN ABNORMALITY AND THAT IT IS NOT THE CASE THAT ALL CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IS THE RESULT OF BRAIN DYSFUNCTION OR NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE. DARBY ALSO TESTIFIED THAT BOWERS, IN HIS OPINION, DOES NOT SUFFER FROM EPILEPSY OR DELUSIONS OR ANY NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS FOR WHICH CRIMES WOULD BE SYMPTOMS. SO TESTIMONY CONTINUING. THE PROSECUTION HAS AT LEAST ONE MORE REBUTTAL WITNESS FOR THIS PHASE OF THE TRIAL. IT’S EXPECTED THEY WILL GET TO THAT WITNESS THIS AFTERNOON. BUT THIS PORTION OF THE TESTIMONY WITH THE WITNESS WHO BEGAN YESTERDAY HAS BEEN CONTINUING. REPORTING LIVE OUTSIDE THE FEDERAL COURTHOU
Testimony continues on Robert Bowers’ mental health
Updated: 12:30 PM EDT Jul 6, 2023
The penalty phase in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial continued Thursday morning.Thus far, the jury has heard testimony about Robert Bowers’ mental health, as well as his behavior before and after the 2018 shooting.Bowers described himself as “calm, focused, and goal-directed” during the attack to a neurologist who interviewed and evaluated the defendant six weeks ago.There were some pointed questions from both sides for a prosecution witness in his second day of testimony. Dr. Ryan Darby, a behavioral neurologist who did the most recent examination of Bowers, was back on the stand as a prosecution rebuttal witness.Defense attorney Michael Burt continued his cross-examination of Darby, continuing to question whether Darby is acting as an advocate for the prosecution.The defense questioned whether information from Bowers’ childhood medical history should have prompted Darby to seek medical tests for Bowers. Darby said he someone with ongoing symptoms is different from someone who has not displayed symptoms for more than 40 years.Burt again raised questions about Darby’s $350 an-hour fee and the more than 150 hours he’s spent on the case so far.Prosecutor Eric Olshan took up the topic in his redirect questioning of the doctor.He asked if it’s standard for experts to be paid for the work they do. Darby said it’s fairly typical for both defense and prosecution. Olshan asked if experts with more experience are paid more than witnesses with less experience. Darby said he believes so and believes that defense specialists would be paid more than him.In answer to Olsan’s question, Darby testified not every criminal behavior is a symptom of a brain abnormality. And that it’s not the case that all criminal behavior is a result of brain dysfunction or neurological disease.Darby also testified Bowers does not suffer from epilepsy or delusions, or any neurological conditions for which his crimes would be symptoms.
The penalty phase in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial continued Thursday morning.
Thus far, the jury has heard testimony about Robert Bowers’ mental health, as well as his behavior before and after the 2018 shooting.
Bowers described himself as “calm, focused, and goal-directed” during the attack to a neurologist who interviewed and evaluated the defendant six weeks ago.
There were some pointed questions from both sides for a prosecution witness in his second day of testimony. Dr. Ryan Darby, a behavioral neurologist who did the most recent examination of Bowers, was back on the stand as a prosecution rebuttal witness.
Defense attorney Michael Burt continued his cross-examination of Darby, continuing to question whether Darby is acting as an advocate for the prosecution.
The defense questioned whether information from Bowers’ childhood medical history should have prompted Darby to seek medical tests for Bowers. Darby said he someone with ongoing symptoms is different from someone who has not displayed symptoms for more than 40 years.
Burt again raised questions about Darby’s $350 an-hour fee and the more than 150 hours he’s spent on the case so far.
Prosecutor Eric Olshan took up the topic in his redirect questioning of the doctor.
He asked if it’s standard for experts to be paid for the work they do. Darby said it’s fairly typical for both defense and prosecution. Olshan asked if experts with more experience are paid more than witnesses with less experience. Darby said he believes so and believes that defense specialists would be paid more than him.
In answer to Olsan’s question, Darby testified not every criminal behavior is a symptom of a brain abnormality. And that it’s not the case that all criminal behavior is a result of brain dysfunction or neurological disease.
Darby also testified Bowers does not suffer from epilepsy or delusions, or any neurological conditions for which his crimes would be symptoms.
