WhoEverWasTheLast

Doctorenters,LightsuponDoctor.
Doctor(veryserioustone):
OnJune25,1991,afteranemergencyCsection,AlanGimenezandhiswifebecameproud
parentsofababygirlwhotheynamedPriscilla.Immediatelyaftershewasborn,itwasapparent
thatPriscillawasasickchild.Duetothelengthybirthingprocessbeforetheemergency
Csection,doctorssuspectedPriscillamayhaveswallowedamnioticfluidthatcontainedfeces
andmayhaveevenhadpneumonia.Doctorsorderedaspinaltap,tookbloodandurinesamples,
and,afterachestxrayshowedretainedfluidandahealingfracturedrib,administeredtwo
antibiotics.Priscillastreatingdoctorswereunabletoidentifyaspecificcauseforherproblems.
WeekslaterwhileAlanwasattemptingtofeedher,Priscillavomitedforcefullyandexhibited
seizureactivity.Dr.LewisrecommendedAlantakePriscillatotheemergencyroom.The
hospitalconductedaCTscanonwhichtheradiologistnotedthehealingribfractureand,forthe
firsttime,bleedinginPriscillasbrain.Numerousadditionalbloodtestswereperformedtoassess
Priscillasanemiaandshereceivedthreebloodtransfusions.Thefollowingday,thehospital
conductedanotherCTscanandinsertedasurgicalboltinPriscillashead.Laterthatday,
Priscillaconcludedherbrieflifeatthehospital.Shewasjust49daysold.

(Lightsfadeondoctor,lightsuponAlexSimpson,judge,andLawyer2.Alanisontherightside
ofAlex,sittingdownseparatelyfromhim.)

AlexSimpson:
IthinkIstartedin2007,sowhatisthat,7years?WestartedlookingintothecaseafterAlan
wrotetousand,Imsureyouknowthatalotofpeoplesaytheyreinnocentwhiletheyrein
prison.ButAlanscasejustnevermadeanysense,assoonaswestartedlookingatitwerealized
thatthispersonwasinnocent.
Judge:
Canyoutellusalittleaboutthepeoplethatyouworkedwithandhowtheyhave
contributedtoexoneratingMr.AllanGimenez?

AlexSimpson:
Ithinkatonepointwehadabout7or8expertsandwehad3attorneysIbelieve.Infantsdiefor
veryspecificreasons,sowehadtobringalotofmedicalexpertstolookattheevidenceand
reallybringinverydifferentelementsandtrytomakeitintoacohesiveandunderstandable
whole.
IrememberthefirsttimeImetAlanandIrememberthinkingthattherewasnowaythatthisguy
didit.Youknowsometimesthoseemotionscankindacloudyourjudgmentbutyoureallyhave
tomeetAlantorealizehowfriendlyandhowwarmandhow...hesjustnotaviolentguyatall.I

rememberfeelingoverjoyedthatwehadaclientthatwasjustsoapproachableandniceand
friendly.

IalsorememberthemomentIrealizedAlanwasinnocent.WhenIstartedlookingthroughthe
medicaltestimonies,IsawthatAlanwasconvictedonatheoryofshakenbabysyndromewhen
aninfantisshakentodeath.Itsbeenlargelydiscreditedandisnolongersomethingthatissocut
anddryaswhenAlanwasconvicted.

AlanswifeentersandsitsdownnexttohimholdingabundlethatrepresentsPriscilla,followed
by3othercharacterswhositonbothsidesofthem,representingfamily.

Lawyer2:
(Beginhappilypassingaroundabundle/babyamongfamily,takingtimetoholdit,rockit,smile
etc.)
Well,thethingaboutbabydeathsisthattheyreunbelievablytragic,andoftentimes,what
happensis,becausethey'resotragic,theprosecutionwilloftenwanttorushtojudgementabout
whathappened.SotheysuspectedAlanofkillingPriscilla.Incasesofbabydeaths,thenthe
personwhobringsthebabytothehospitalisthepersontheysuspectofcommittingthecrime.In
otherwordsitslikehotpotato.Whoeverwasthelasttoholdthebabyisthepersonthatthey
suspectcommittedthecrime.Andthatswhathappened.

Lightsdownonrestoffamily,uponAlanholdingthebaby.allfamilyexceptGimenezswifeget
up,exits,doctortakesbundle.WardenhandcuffsAlan,moveschairtofacehiswife.

Youthinkaboutthetheworstthingthatcouldhappentoyouwhichisthedeathofyourchild.
Shewasonly49daysoldwhenshediedandsothatisjustaheartwrenchingthingtoexperience,
aheartbreakingsituationtogothrough,andontopofthatyouthinkaboutthesecondworst
thingthatcouldhappentoyouisthatyou'rearrestedforthecrimeandeventuallyconvictedof
hermurder.Thatisjustanunbelievablytragicsituation,onethatIthinkanyparentcan'teven
imaginegoingthrough.

AlexSimpson:
(Pause)Alanswifeunfortunatelydiedacoupleofyearsafterhewenttoprison.(wifestands,
exitsstage)Throughouttheentiretyofhistrial,prosecution,andconvictionshereallystoodby
himandsaidthatPriscillawasjustasickbabyanddidntthinkAlanhadcommittedthecrime.
Wewouldhavelovedforhertocomeforwardandsaythatagainthismanyyearslater.

Warden:
ActsofdomesticviolenceagainsthiswifecameupagainstAlanduringanunsuccessfulparole
hearing.BeforeAlanwenttoprisonheandhiswifewerenewlymarriedandtheyhadacouple
ofincidentswheretheywereyellingateachotherandsometimeswhenthathappensthepolice
getcalledbyaneighboressentiallyandthepolicehastoarrestsomebodytomakesurethatthe
situationdoesn'tgetescalated,andthatwasprettymuchit.SoasAlandescribedit,imagineif
youhadbeenjudgedanddeniedparolebasedonafightthatyouhadwithyourboyfriendor
girlfriend.(pause)Buttheentiretimehehasbeenincarceratedhesneverhadanyrules
violations,noteventalkingbacktoacorrectionsofficer(motiontoself)oranythinglikethat.In
facthewassogoodthatthewegavehimacommendationforhisworkdesigningaconference
tablethatsintheprison.

EnterDoctor,lightsupondoctor.
Doctor
AlotofdifferentthingshavehappenedintermsofShakenBabySyndromeinthelast20years.
Oneofthemostsignificantonesisonthetheoryofwhatwecallthetriadofsymptoms:retinal
hemorrhaging,whichisbleedingbehindtheeye,subduralhematoma,whichisbleedingonthe
brain,andcephalopathy,whichisbrainswelling.Originally,wehadsaidthatwheneveryousee
thosethreesymptoms,thenthatmeansthatitsshakenbabysyndrome.Andinthelast20years
thattheresearchhasbeendone,theresbeenmultiplestudiesthatshowthatthosethree
symptomscanoccurwithoutitbeingshakenbabysyndrome.Priscillawasjustaveryverysick
baby,andshewasallthewayfromchildbirth.

Doctorexits.
Lawyer2:
Iwakeupeverymorning,gotoschool,andIgettogohome,seemyfamily,andsleepinmy
ownbed.IcanmakedailydecisionsaboutwhatIloveandwhatIdo.Whatmakeuswantto
speakupandbringlighttothesepeoplewhowerewrongfullyconvicted?Becausethepeople
thatwerepresentdontgettoliveanormallife.Wereinnocent,butwehaventbeenwrongfully
convicted.ForpeoplelikeAlan,youknow,hemaynevergetoutofprisonforsomethingthathe
didntdo.Alandoesntgettogetout,hedoesn'tgettogowherehewantsto,hedoesntgettogo
toajobthathelovestodo,hedoesntgettogotosleepwherehewantsto.Hemissedhis
daughter'shighschoolgraduation.Anditsthesemomentsthathedoesntgettoexperiencethat
inspiresustosupporthim.

Alex:
IfthegovernorchoosestograntclemencytotheCalifornia12,ortosomeoftheCalifornia12,

ImconfidentthatAlanisgoingtobeoneofthosepeople.Youknowsometimesitdoesfeellike
itsbeenmorethan7years,inotherwords,itfeelslikeIvebeenbeatingmyheadagainstthe
wallforaverylongtimeonAlanscase,andothertimesitfeelslikeitsgonebyintheblinkof
aneye.Butweregoingtobethereeverystepoftheway.

Judge:
Whyisitstillsohardtoprovehisinnocenceandwhatisthemostdifficultpartaboutthat?

AlexSimpson:
Thetoughthingaboutexonerationisthattheresalotofevidencethattheprosecutionpresented
thatshowedthatmyclientwasguiltybeyondareasonabledoubtbutnowImaskingyoutogo
backandundothatandsomecourtsareveryreluctanttodothatforverygoodreasons,butwe
arentgoingtostopuntilhegetsout.

AlanGimenezgetsup,walkstoAlex,putshisarmaroundhim.

AlanGimenez:
Hey,(pause)itsgoingtobeokay.
Lightsstayup,allactorswalkoffstage.