State Trial Audio – Yesinia Cordero

After Ronny, next up is Yusinia Cordero. She tells us how she came to postville with her family (her father was already there) and dropped out of school to get a job after she got pregnant. She describes lying about her age and status in the country in order to get a job (she also reveals that she was enrolled in public school and on WIC, seems the government also thought she was legal) and how the ICE agents didn’t believe her when she told them she was under 18 (but the state seems to think the HR dpt and Sholom should have).

Please check back for a section of all the audio files in their “raw”, unedited form (see last post for more details).

State of Iowa part 1 (aprox 10 min) click here

State of Iowa part 2 (aprox 8 min) click here

Editors Note:

For the most part this testimony is in line with the other minors who testify (namely, they lied to get work, no one knew their real age, they wanted the work and would say whatever was needed to keep it plus they are hoping to be allowed to stay in the country with a U-Visa) with the exception that the State in this case does not even attempt to tie her to Sholom Rubashkin. Unlike by Ronny where they ask if he saw Sholom in his work area and if Sholom saw him (and hence could argue that he knew about the minors), they don’t even ask Yesinia about him. How does her testimony support the charges that Sholom hired minors? Your guess is as good as mine.

Its also incredible how they didn’t (and if my memory serves me correctly, they don’t through out the entire trial) stop with the “did they ask you for a drivers license” nonsense. As I pointed out earlier Agriprocessors was not allowed to do that and had they asked for extra ID they could have been sued. Know I under stand that the state is trying to win the case but when that is the best evidence you have against someone… Need I say more?

Monty Brown for the defense part 1 (aprox 11 min) click here

Monty Brown for the defense part 2 (aprox 9 min) click here

Editors Note:

Please forgive the poorer quality of these recordings, the defense table was further from the recording device then the others. The connection of the church and this case will be made very clear in future audio.

Perhaps 3 of the most telling parts of her testimony are the following.

1. On “recross” (when the state gets to question her again, after the defense) and really throughout the trial the state tries to tell the jury a lot of rumors and stories of things that happened at the plant but where in no way connected to Sholom despite the judges clear instructions not to. In this case the state keeps trying to talk about workers needing to purchase cars from a plant manager in order to keep their job.  In a refreshing (we where coming from Judge Linda Reede and the federal trial) show of unbiased and fair ruling the judge hears out both sides and rules that since this is in no way connected to Sholom (or the crimes he was charged with) he will not allow it.
2. Monty takes her to task for telling a reporter (was front page story at the time) that her husband/boyfriend was forced to work after no training with a dangerous knife with chickens whizzing by his head. In reality he worked for the most part in “quality control” and the sharpest thing he carried all way was a thermostat.
3. Perhaps the most emotional moment of that day came when she was asked (by the state oddly enough) about the raid, she broke down in tears and had a hard time finishing, saying she “never wants to think of that day”. Which makes one wonder who did more “abuse” and caused the most damage to these minors, the plant (that was providing a paying job) or the US government.

To listen to all three parts (in that order) click here.