By Hannah Neumann
Staff Writer
The defense continued and ultimately rested its argument Monday evening in the trial of McCahill, Hardy v. Kinghorn.
Fair Oaks Ranch junior Alex Oestreich, defense attorney for Katy junior Lawren Kinghorn, student government internal vice president, called three witnesses: Monahans senior Brantley McDaniel, Houston junior Pearson Brown and senior Jailyn Parnell.
Although Old River Winfree sophomore Joel Polvado was one of many struck from the witness list by the defense, the justices called him to take the stand as the last witness of the evening.
Kinghorn was not present during the hearing, as she was out of town for university business.
The court is to continue Wednesday in the trial of McCahill, Hardy v. Kinghorn with closing arguments, followed by deliberation and a verdict at a later date.
After the calling of his first witness, Oestreich requested and was granted recess to consult with Kinghorn and his co-counsel, Granbury senior Stefanie Mundhenk.
Oestreich questioned McDaniel on a group text that involved members of Alpha Tau Omega, the fraternity associated with the plaintiffs in the case, Baylor senators Woodinville, Wash., senior Gannon McCahill and San Antonio junior Chase Hardy.
It has been alleged throughout the case that Kinghorn has unfairly targeted members of the fraternity, as well as those who voted for the concealed handgun bill, authored by McCahill.
Following questioning by Oestrich and the plaintiffs’ attorney, sophomore Elliott Riches, the court learned McDaniel had previously attempted to have senator McCahill removed as head of the fraternity. With further examination revolving mostly around the inner-workings of the fraternity, chief justice Cody Coll said McDaniel’s testimony was beginning to sound like that of a character witness and that his interaction within the context of the Alpha Tau Omega executive board didn’t appear relevant to the hearing.
Parnell was called as the second witness. Daniel Pellegrin, deputy chief justice, asked if she felt Kinghorn’s bias could show through in the fact that she is the sole person responsible for appointing members to the Senate Executive Council.
Parnell said while it is Kinghorn’s duty to appoint members, she felt Kinghorn did so without bias. Parnell said prior to her current position, she and Kinghorn had disagreed on almost every decision and bill brought before them.
“If Lawren wanted to appoint people who agreed with her she made a mistake appointing me,” Parnell said.
At the time of publication, Brown was beginning his witness testimony and Polvado was to follow per the court’s request.
