A former correctional officer on Friday testified she saw all three accused officers beat inmate Raymond Smoot to death at Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center in 2005.
Kandis Harlee told a Baltimore City Circuit Court jury that she saw Dameon Woods, James Hatcher and Nathan Colbert — charged with second-degree murder, assault and conspiracy in Smoot?s death — assault the 51-year-old inmate on May 14, 2005.
“I saw officer Woods, Hatcher, and Colbert stomping with an up-and-down motion,” Harlee said.
But defense attorneys said Harlee?s testimony should be banned because she read newspaper articles about the trial, watched television news accounts, discussed witness testimony with her family who watched the trial, and spokeon the phone with other witnesses who had already testified. Harlee said prosecutors didn?t tell her she wasn?t supposed to do any of that.
“It?s bad. It shouldn?t have happened,” said Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge John Glynn. “But I don?t think that it interferes with the honesty of the trial.”
Defense attorneys also attacked Harley?s testimony on the grounds that she didn?t have a good view of the beating.
Robert Cole Jr., Colbert?s attorney, pointed out to Harlee that she barely saw the incident as she tried to contain 40 rowdy inmates who were shouting and cursing.
“I turned around, I saw what I saw, and I turned back around,” Harlee said.
Defense attorneys have argued that Harlee and other former correctional officers have conspired against the three men to shift blame of the beating. They maintain their clients are not guilty.
All three are being tried together.
