A hearing in Summit County Juvenile Court Friday morning continued testimony about the arrest last summer of a 17-year-old girl facing four counts of drug distribution. Rick Brough has more.
The Park City High School student is charged with ordering drugs from overseas on the Dark Web.
Her defense attorney, Mary Corporon, filed a motion to suppress evidence from the prosecution. To that end, the court has heard testimony about what happened when the girl was arrested and what she told law enforcement agents.
An agent from the Homeland Security Task Force, on the stand Friday, was thought to be the wrap-up witness. But it turned out one other officer was present for the arrest — which was apparently an unexpected turn for both sides.
The Homeland agent testifying Friday said that after her arrest the girl was taken to an interview and Mirandized.
The defense asked him in detail what he did when he arrested the girl inside the Kimball Junction MacDonald’s and handcuffed her in the parking lot.
The agent said that about the arrest, he didn’t recall that she asked for her parents or an attorney. He said at times she was very distraught and hard to understand, but she did ask, “Why are you doing this?”
Corporon asked if the girl might have thought she was being kidnapped. The agent said he was in plainclothes, but he showed her his badge. He said she was taken outside to another agent in uniform with a marked vehicle.
During his testimony, the agent said another officer was present with him at MacDonald’s — an agent with ICE.
The Homeland Security Task Force is a subdivision of that agency. Deputy Prosecutor Patricia Cassell and Corporon both said they just found out Friday about this witness.
Juvenile Court Judge Elizabeth Knight continued the hearing to January 18th.