State Rests Case In Hollywood Cop Trial
HOLLYWOOD (CBS4)- The prosecution rested its case Friday afternoon in the case of an ex-Hollywood cop on trial for allegedly fabricating reports in an effort to protect a fellow officer.
It's been nearly three years since the accident in Hollywood that set up a corruption investigation and eventual criminal trial.
On Thursday, the testimony from one of the central witnesses in this case was often shaky, vague and unsure.
For the second day in a row, the prosecution's star witness, Alexandra Torrens-Vilas, took the stand. This time under tough, sometimes withering cross-examination.
"I don't know sorry," Torrens-Vilas had trouble recalling details as she spoke. "It was my word against his."
She struggled to remember incidents.
"I know it was a large male," she said.
She took long pregnant pauses... sometimes waiting 10, 15, even 20 seconds to answer questions.
"Sorry give me a minute," she said.
Torrens-Vilas and a police dashboard video are the strongest evidence in the prosecution's case against 45-year-old Dewey Pressley. The former Hollywood cop is on trial for allegedly doctoring the accident report to shift blame from fellow cop, Joel Francisco, who rear-ended Torrens-Vilas back in February 2009.
Despite the fact she had been rear-ended, the cops charged her with DUI and other traffic offenses, but charges that were later dropped.
On the police dashboard videotape Pressley can be heard saying he would, "Do a little Walt Disney" to protect fellow cop Francisco.
Torrens-Vilas said, "I don't recall."
Despite unsure testimony that dragged on for two and a half hours, Torrens-Vilas said she was sure about certain critical details.
"That, I am adamant about," she said. "Yes!"
Former Hollywood cop Dewey Pressley faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of all 10 counts against him.
