Greenhouse’s attorney asks whether witnesses were hypnotized

     A motion asking whether witnesses in the murder trial of Norris Greenhouse Jr. were hypnotized is being reviewed by District Judge William Bennett.

     Pineville attorney George Higgins III filed the motion in 12th Judicial District Court on Tuesday. An employee in the Clerk of Court’s Office said the file had been sent to Bennett.

    Greenhouse and Derrick Stafford are facing 2nd-degree murder charges in the death of 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis and attempted 2nd-degree murder of his father, Christopher Few, following a traffic stop on Nov. 3, 2015. Both have pled not guilty to the charges and are out on $1 million bonds each.

     Stafford’s trial is set for Nov.  28, after being moved from a September trial date. Greenhouse had been schedueld for trial on Nov. 28, but a new date has not been set.

     Both men were full-time law enforcement officers who were moonlighting as part-time Marksville City Marshal’s Office deputies at the time of the shooting incident.

     Higgins’ motion asks that prosecutors divulge whether any witnesses were hypnotized, were administered sodium pentothal -- known as “truth serum” -- or were given a lie-detector examination.

    In his motion, Higgins notes that the use of hypnosis has become more common in investigations, despite questions on its reliability and arguments that it can potentially taint testimony by implanting “memories” while a witness is in the hypnotic state. The motion does not include any direct allegations that hypnosis or other “truth-determining examinations” were used in the investigation.

    Higgins maintains it is important that he know whether a witness was hypnotized because he would have to have an expert witness to dispute that witness’ testimony and credibility.

   "Under hypnosis, an interpretive difficulty arises because of the hypnotized person's extreme suggestibility which enables him to detect meanings in the expert's questions which are unintended and unrecognized by the expert himself," Higgins contends in the motion. 

    The case attracted national and international news coverage. It is also the first high-profile case in which the recently purchased body cameras for Marksville Police are expected to play a crucial role.

    State Police reported that a body camera worn by MPD Sgt. Kenneth Parnell, who arrived at the scene shortly after Few’s car was stopped, recorded the incident. Investigators said the video shows Few’s empty hands raised in the car and then shots are heard as the officers fired into the vehicle.

    Few’s son was seatbelted in the front seat next to him. He was killed at the scene. Few was critically wounded and spent several days in a hospital ICU. 

    That video has not been made available to the press or public.