Montana News

Final evidence given in Johnson rape trial

Posted: Feb 28, 2013 10:41 PM by Irina Cates - MTN News

MISSOULA - The evidence portion of the Jordan Johnson trial is now complete and closing arguments will begin Friday morning.

Attorneys spent the day arguing back and forth on whether the alleged victim was properly diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

A medical doctor specializing in psychiatry testified for the defense and said the accuser's counselor didn't have sufficient criteria to diagnose the woman with PTSD.

Dr. Will Stratford said the woman's counselor was the only one out of four medical providers the woman saw at Curry Health Center who diagnosed her with PTSD.

Stratford said if he was looking at this woman's record, he would have included more of her previous history.

"They work in the same clinic. It certainly have to raise any kind of question about why are they not all seeing the same thing? Why are 3/4 of them seeing something else and how did 1/4 of them get to that conclusion?"

Curry Health Center's Dr. David Bell testified for the prosecution, saying he worked with the woman after the alleged rape, adding that she had PTSD symptoms, but he didn't formally diagnose her with it.

"The treatment is often the same, and so I don't feel it a real strong need to nitpick one side or the other as to what the specific diagnosis is."

Bell agreed with the defense that the person who diagnosed the alleged victim with PTSD had the least amount of experience and education.

Closing arguments will begin Friday morning at 8:30 a.m., and after that the case will go to the jury.