Teen: Party Host Took Shots With Teen
Defense Rests Case In Woman Facing 2 Counts Of Manslaughter In Teens' Deaths
The prosecution and defense each rested their cases Thursday afternoon after more teens took the stand in the trial of a St. Johns County woman accused of throwing a party that gave teens access to drugs and alcohol.
Two of the teens at the party -- Jessy Pitts, 18, and Taylor Brennan, 17 -- left it in January 2009 and died in a fiery car crash on State Road 13.
A teen who was at the party told the jury that he saw the defendant, Diane Santarelli, taking shots with Pitts, the teen who was driving in the fatal crash.
Another teen testified that she saw Santarelli smoking marijuana during the party.
"She said, 'You call this a party, where's the bong at?'" said Kayla Jones, the victims' friend.
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Also in court Thursday, prosecutors showed receipts from liquor runs they said Santarelli made. Prosecutors said Santarelli's daughter's MySpace page indicates Santarelli was an active participant of the party scene.
Only one teen who testified Wednesday said that Santarelli didn't want the teens at the home. And only one witness said Santarelli verbally offered beer, but they all said they saw Santarelli drinking and doing drugs.
The defense tried to prove Thursday that Santarelli didn't encourage the teens to drink or do drugs and did show concern about them driving home. They tried to poke holes in the teens' testimonies, saying investigators intimidated them because their written statement was different from what they said on the stand.
"I was barely involved in anything. I barely know any of those people, and I got tricked into saying some things like, 'Oh, did you see Taylor drinking?' 'No.' 'Well, she had a blood-alcohol level of blah, blah, blah,'" Cara Sessions, one of the teens at the party, testified. "I was scared."
The defense only called two witnesses, including a sociology expert who said the crash could've been caused by things other than alcohol, even thought Pitts had a blood-alcohol level twice the legal driving limit.
The defense wanted the expert to prove Santarelli's weren't reckless like the indictment says, but the judge interrupted the argument.
Santarelli is the first person in Florida to be charged with manslaughter after hosting a house party where alcohol and drugs were available to teens. If she is convicted on the two manslaughter charges, she could face up to 31 years in prison.
Closing arguments are set to begin Friday at 10:30 a.m.
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