First Witness: Christina Belling
Employed with the Sheriff's office, as an inmate case worker.
Case Worker: assess and manage crisis that comes into the jail - such as a high profile case, suicidal. Then work with medical and psychiatrist to get services. Once managed, they assess mental health changes.
She has worked with juveniles in the jail. She's worked with under 10 as a case worker. She is the case worker for EC. She was assigned the day that he came in - Dec. 1, 2021.
She was meeting with EC daily. There were a few occassions a few times a day, but mostly once a day. Can be from 5 minutes and up.
She assessed for mental health issues.
She is no longer meeting with him on a daily basis, but twice a week. This changed when he came off a constant watch approx. one month ago.
If he needed medical treatment it would be available to him. They met in front of the cell door within the clinic.
A licensed psychiatarist would be available to him.
She currently has about 70 inmates, but doesn't meet with any of them two times a week. But with EC he meets two times a week due to his counseling and that he's a juvenile.
DEFENSE CROSS:
Adults inmates assigned to her have been hundreds - could be thousands.
She currently has only one juvenile, EC.
She decides what kind of what EC someone is. He was on a constant watch. He has a deputy outside observing him 24/7 to ensure his safety and security. Due to this, he still has suicide blankets, but he's not on suicide watch.
She sees him on Mondays, but this past week he wasn't there at the end of the week. The records would show that she did see him twice a week. There are also other case workers who will fill in.
She doesn't decide about access to the tablet. Nothing to do with food delivery or the type of food he gets.
She doesn't have anything to do with education. She's not aware whether he's getting any education services.
The makeup of clinic to cell location: he's in an individual cell, there is a half glass door that looks forward. If he looks out the door, there is a tv on the ceiling, he may see staff.
REBUTTAL:
The factors that went into the determination to take him off suicide watch - she cannot discuss these as it's privileged.
She has provided him Harry Potter books. To her knowledge, he's read them.
If he needed to reach her, he would tell the deputy and the deputy would call her. And she would make an exception to put him to the top of the list.
Asked again about general factors to take a person off suicide watch: When the decision is made, she collaborates with others. She wouldn't take anyone off suicide watch for which she had concerns about their safety.
Judge is asking questions:
He's currently on a behavior watch. Step down from suicide watch to further assess for behavior changes.
DEFENSE FOLLOW UP
Meetings with EC, sometimes they are longer than 5 minutes but they take place in his cell doorway.
