Skip to main content

No proof Doll brought contraband into jail, defense contends

By Howard B. Owens

There's no proof that Scott Doll carried a green balloon into the Genesee County Jail on May 20.

That's the assertion made by defense attorney Dan Killelea in an opening statement this morning in Doll's trial for allegedly introducing contraband into jail following his murder conviction.

Doll was allegedly found in a holding cell about to drink from a cup with a mixture of water and a white powdery substance.

Sgt. Greg Walker transported Doll from the courthouse, and then came back to the jail to investigate the alleged incident in the holding cell. He testified that when he looked into the holding cell, there was a white powdery substance trailing from the sink, to the floor and onto the bed.

The green balloon was laying empty on the bed.

It turned out that the white powder was aspirin.

Walker testified that he did a brief pat down search of Doll in the holding cell at the Genesee County Courthouse and found only a couple of coins in Doll's pocket, which he allowed him to keep.

The sargeant testified that Deputy Vincent Maurer also conducted a search of Doll upon his arrival at the jail.

At that time, Maurer felt something unusual along Doll's pant leg and took Doll into a holding cell for a more thorough search. Nothing was found.

Walker also testified that he arrived at the courthouse as the same time Doll was dropped off at the front door and held the door for him to enter the building.

Doll appeared intoxicated, Walker said. He could smell alcohol on his breath and he was staggering and swaying a bit.

UPDATE 12:16 p.m.: Maurer testifies that Doll told him an "officer" gave him the white powder and he didn't know what it was.

"I told him it was my birthday and I didn’t want to see him hurt himself on my birthday and have that be my memory," Maurer said. "He said it was nothing against me. I'm trying to take the edge off -- some officer gave it to me."

Maurer added that Doll said, "You don’t know what I’m going through. I’ve lost my family. I’ve lost 25 years of my career. I’ve lost everything. Officer to officer."

When Doll arrived, prior to the alleged white powder incident, Maurer observed that Doll appeared despondent and intoxicated. He recommended Doll be placed under constant supervision, but that constant supervision -- which involves an officer sitting outside his cell and logging everything he does -- would not begin until after he was fully processed.

Maurer said a document that says he should be on constant watch while in the holding cell is a typo, that he should have gone on constant watch after processing was completed.

Maurer also testified that nobody was in the holding cell prior to Doll entering and that he didn't see a balloon or white powder in the room.

As for the pat search when Doll first arrived, Maurer said when patting his pant leg, "I felt something funny" and asked him to go into a holding cell for a more thorough search. Doll was asked to drop his pants and nothing unusual was found. At that point, he said he thought that maybe he only felt the seam of Doll's pants previously.

UPDATE 12:52 p.m.: Batavia City Court Judge Robert Balbick rules that Assistant District Attorney Robert Zickl could have asked his question during his initial direct examination, after Wolf had been qualified as an expert witness. Since that didn't happen, Killelea's objection is sustained.

UPDATE 12:56 p.m.: Lunch break. Prosecution will rest after lunch. The defense will not call any witnesses.

Authentically Local