Commonwealth v. Read — Trial ArchiveKatie McLaughlin — Redirect/Recross
125 linesREDIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. LALLY:
MR. LALLY: So, Firefighter McLaughlin, you went to high school with Caitlin Albert, correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Yes.
MR. LALLY: Okay. And could you describe the nature of your relationship, if any, with Caitlin?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: I would describe it as we're not close friends. I would say we're more acquaintances. We have mutual friends. I don't have a one-on-one relationship with her.
MR. LALLY: And you were asked some questions about social media, correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Yes.
MR. LALLY: And, if you could or if you could guesstimate, about how many friends, and I'm sort of inferring air quotes in there, how many friends on social media would you have?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: I don't know. Probably 500.
MR. LALLY: And of those probably 500 friends on social media, how many of those are actual friends that you talk to, interact with beyond social media?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Much less than that.
MR. LALLY: Now, prior to -- well, let me ask you this: As far as would you say that you saw Caitlin Albert more so when you were in high school or more so since you have graduated from high school?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: I would say probably more in high school because we were there every day.
MR. LALLY: And about what year or so was it that you graduated from high school?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: 2014.
MR. LALLY: And, as far as any sort of photographs that were referenced to you, have you seen those photographs?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Here?
MR. LALLY: Yes.
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Here today I saw them.
MR. LALLY: And do you have any idea where or when those photographs were taken?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: I don't remember.
MR. LALLY: And, of those photographs, it's not just you and Caitlin Albert in a photograph; is that correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Correct.
MR. LALLY: So a larger group of people; is that correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Correct.
MR. LALLY: When you were asked about sort of these day trips, they were sort of trips specifically on a day to a beach, it looks like, correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And to a beach with a larger group of people; is that correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And, with reference to Caitlin Albert specifically, have you ever socialized with her in any setting beyond a setting that contained a large group of people?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: No.
MR. LALLY: Now, with respect to -- when you say “high school," you graduated from Canton High School, correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And you grew up in Canton; is that correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Yes.
MR. LALLY: And did you know Caitlin Albert before you attended Canton High School?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: No. That's probably when we first really interacted, was high school.
MR. LALLY: And essentially you live within the town -- I'm sorry -- you work within the town that you grew up in, correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Correct.
MR. LALLY: And is that abnormal from a civil service perspective?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: No. From a civil service perspective, you're given more points for residency. So it's actually I would say preferred or you're placed higher on the list if you have residency in that town.
MR. LALLY: So it's actually preferred and more common than uncommon as far aS growing up in a town and then working in that same town in a civil service position like a firefighter?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Yes.
MR. LALLY: Now, during the course of the time that you've been on the Canton Fire Department, have you received calls to residences or other places or even patients that you either knew or were familiar with?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Yes.
MR. LALLY: And would that be a reason for you to not go on a call?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: No.
MR. LALLY: And you have an obligation, wouldn't you say, to respond to a call when a call is made and you're on duty in that station house, correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Yes.
MR. JACKSON: Objection.
JUDGE CANNONE: The objection is sustained. Ask the question differently.
BY MR. LALLY:
MR. LALLY: As far as when you're on duty as a firefighter at a particular station house and you get a call, what, if any, choice do you have to respond to any particular call?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: I don't have a choice. I just have to respond to the call.
MR. LALLY: And, then, prior to that date of January 29th, had you ever been over, through socialization or otherwise, Caitlin Albert's house?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Not that I ever remember.
MR. LALLY: Had she ever been over to your house?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: No.
MR. LALLY: Again, had you ever socialized with her outside of a large group of people?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: No.
MR. LALLY: When you responded on that morning just after 6:00 a.m., the house at 34 Fairview Road, did you know who lived there?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: No.
MR. LALLY: During the time since January 29th of 2022, have you ever spoken to Caitlin Albert about what happened that morning in front of 34 Fairview Road?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: No.
MR. LALLY: Now, you were asked some questions on cross- examination about knowing sort of Caitlin Albert's parents' names or siblings' names or things of that nature, correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Right.
MR. LALLY: And, prior to January 29th, you didn't know any of those names; is that correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: No.
MR. LALLY: And you learned of them subsequently; is that correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Yes.
MR. LALLY: Your Honor, may we approach just briefly?
JUDGE CANNONE: Okay.
(Whereupon, there was a sidebar conference as follows:)
MR. LALLY: So my next question --
JUDGE CANNONE: Wait until everybody is here.
MR. LALLY: Oh. I'm sorry.
MR. LALLY: So my next question is how she knows, and then this sort of gets into that area of not only Mr. Kearney, but this witness also had a visit from a defense investigator in which the defendant was in the car parked outside of her house at that time, that that defense investigator sort of pushed his way into the home with her parents to try to speak to her at one point during the pendency of this case.
MR. JACKSON: Your Honor, that is true. First of all, there is no male defense investigator who has ever approached her. We did actually have an investigator, a female, knock on the door, have a very polite conversation with the McLaughlin parents, who said she would rather not speak with us, and we left, which is our obligation and well within our -- actually, it would be --
JUDGE CANNONE: I understand.
MR. JACKSON: So nobody tried to push their way in. I don't know where Mr. Lally is getting this other than the witness, and she wasn't even there. We never made contact.
JUDGE CANNONE: So I guess I'ma little confused as to you said your next question is going to be what?
MR. LALLY: How she became aware of those names after the fact.
JUDGE CANNONE: I thought she testified she saw it on the news.
MR. JACKSON: That's what she did say.
MR. LALLY: Again, I don't know that the news is necessarily Channel 5, Channel 4 or things of that nature.
JUDGE CANNONE: You brought it up. I'm going to let you lead through whether -- what do you suggest, Mr. Jackson?
MR. JACKSON: I don't think this has any -- if this is the Commonwealth's way of trying to sully the defendant, I --
JUDGE CANNONE: No, no. I'm asking for suggestions on how -- you brought it up about she learned these names, knows these names.
MR. JACKSON: She's testified to it and the fact that she watched the news.
JUDGE CANNONE: That was on voir dire. That was on voir dire.
MR. JACKSON: And I think he should be able to lead her and say --
JUDGE CANNONE: Well, that's why I asked for suggestions --
MR. JACKSON: -- is it true that you learned this on the news? That was your testimony. And leave it at that.
JUDGE CANNONE: I'm not going to let you get into that, the Kearney stuff, through this witness. There may be other witnesses, but not this witness. You can lead her what she learned by the news broadcast. If it was social media news, that's fine.
MR. LALLY: Understood.
(Whereupon, the sidebar conference concluded.)
BY MR. LALLY:
MR. LALLY: So, Ms. McLaughlin, you learned of those other people's names within the Albert family subsequent to your response to this call on January 29th; is that correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Yes.
MR. LALLY: And you learned of those through sort of various news or media reports in relation to this case, not something that you had any conversations with anybody about, correct?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Correct.
MR. LALLY: I have nothing further, Your Honor.
JUDGE CANNONE: All right.
MR. JACKSON: Your Honor, if I may? I have a brief followup.
JUDGE CANNONE: All right.
RECROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. JACKSON:
MR. JACKSON: You indicated, Ms. McLaughlin, that -- Mr. Lally just asked you about these 500 friends on social media. A couple of guick questions about that. Of those 500 friends on social media, how many of those have you taken day trips with?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: I don't know.
MR. JACKSON: How many of those have you gone to the beach with?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: I don't know.
MR. JACKSON: How many of those have you posed for photographs with?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: I don't know.
MR. JACKSON: How many of those have you posed for photographs in swimwear with?
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: I don't know.
MR. JACKSON: How many of those have you been photographed with your arm around while that other friend is drinking a beer?
MR. LALLY: Objection.
JUDGE CANNONE: Sustained.
BY MR. JACKSON:
MR. JACKSON: Ms. McLaughlin, all of those things that I just mentioned you have done with Ms. Caitlin Albert?
MR. LALLY: Objection.
JUDGE CANNONE: Sustained.
MR. JACKSON: That's all I have.
JUDGE CANNONE: Okay. All right, Firefighter McLaughlin, you are all set.
MS. MCLAUGHLIN: Thank you.
(Whereupon, the witness is excused.)