Sacto 9-1-1
September 24, 2012
Murder trial in UC Davis 'sweethearts' case resumes

Testimony resumed today in Sacramento Superior Court in the Richard Joseph Hirschfield death-penalty murder trial following a delay of nearly two weeks due to the knee injury suffered by one of the defendant's attorneys.

The morning's testimony consisted of a supervising property officer's recounting of the paper trail that accompanied evidence that was warehoused by the Sacramento Sheriff's Department after the Dec. 20, 1980, slashing deaths of 18-year-old UC Davis "sweethearts" John Riggins and Sabrina Gonsalves.

Defense attorney Linda Parisi, who slipped and fell in the courthouse on Sept. 11 and then underwent surgery the next day, sat in a wheelchair as she cross-examined the retired property officer, Mycal Brummer.

Parisi told Judge Michael W. Sweet she can only work an abbreviated schedule as a result of her surgery. Sweet said the trial sessions will now be held on the regular court days of Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The new hours cut the court day from the regularly-scheduled six hours of testimony.

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