Security footage shows that Janet Hinds had a 22-ounce Michelob Ultra less than five minutes before she got in her car and drove on Feb. 23, 2019. Officer Jeffrey Buckner of the Chattanooga Police Department said she had five drinks in total over the course of four hours, which were two 22-ounce blue moons, two Michelob Ultras, and a lemon drop shot at the Farm and Fork restaurant.
“She pays her bill, gets the last drops out of the drink, talks to some people at her table, gets her keys out, and walks to her car,” officer Buckner said during the second day of Janet Hinds' vehicular homicide trial.
He administered CPR to the late officer Nicholas Galinger that night. “I’ve watched it numerous times and it’s timestamped. As I watch the video, I see her, by herself, getting into the vehicle.”
The Fork’s manager briefly testified and certified that the receipts and activity report from that night were valid. Ms. Hinds’ server said the defendant was “never snappy or rude” and did not exhibit any behavior or physical mannerisms associated with drunkenness.
Officer Nicholas Galinger was struck and killed by a car on the night of February 2019 on Hamill road while he was inspecting an overflowing manhole cover. Janet Hinds was found to be the driver and her level of intoxication was the main topic during Tuesday morning’s proceedings.
Officer Buckner said he saw Ms. Hinds eat only four or five French-fries/nachos and a single appetizer taco during the entire video. He said he watched the entire video uninterrupted, and noticed that “she always overlaps the next drink,” not finishing one drink before ordering the next.
District Attorney Neal Pinkston held up the different-sized glasses obtained from the establishment for the jury to see at different points during the testimony.
“Janet Hinds has a limp, but it seems to leave as she consumes more alcohol. As she’s leaving, that limp is not as noticeable,” officer Buckner said. Defense attorney McGowan emphasized Ms. Hinds’ normal handling of her keys and the absence of unruly behavior in his argument against her being impaired at that time. He said the court should focus on the totality of the video, rather than “picked out” moments the prosecution showed in their opening statement.
“Are we just talking about the negative things, or are we going to talk about the totality (of what was seen on video),” asked attorney McGowan. “You have to show that the alcohol actually impaired her driving.”
Prosecutors Pinkston and Cameron Williams also brought in crime scene investigators who took pictures and collected evidence from Ms. Hinds’ car and residence. Investigator Jerry McElroy of the CPD took pictures of the location and the vehicle, and photographed a green shirt with glass on it.
“I try not to touch evidence, so I observed glass on the shirt,” investigator McElroy told defense attorney Ben McGowan during cross examination. “I saw what I thought was a piece of glass, then I sent it off to the lab. We document crime scenes as we find it, and then we can turn on the lights and start moving stuff around after we do that.”
Investigator Kristen Booker also took pictures of the crime scene, and collected evidence as well. She said there were scuff marks on the hood of the vehicle, and showed pictures supporting this claim.
“There were several noticeable hairs, and I took swabs of and around the windshield. I took an entire section (of the cracked windshield) because there were so many hairs,” she told the court.
“Near the steering column, there was a large piece of possible tissue,” investigator Booker said. “We tend to collect anything and everything that could have evidentiary value.”
Investigators also used Bluestar spray to check for blood that may not be seen otherwise. She said "we ended up taking glass, and there was a very faint reaction under the broken windshield.”
Story to be updated later….