Mock Trial Direct

Good morning, can you please state your name for the jury?

Charlie Weaver.

Officer. Weaver, what is your current occupation?

I am currently an officer with the Trumble County Police Department in Basin City, Midlands.

How long have you been a police officer?

As of August 1, 2026 I have been an officer for two years.

What police academy did you attend?

I went to Midlands Police Academy. I graduated second in my class. My spouse, actually, graduated first.

What kind of classes did you take at the academy?

I took specialized classes in crime scene investigation and witness interviewing.  I also took elective courses in fire investigation.

How has that been going for you so far?

Honestly… great.  The past two years I have been nominated for TCPD officer of the year, where I actually won one of the years.

We’re now going to shift our focus to the morning of the accident, and I want to ask you, were you on the scene?

Yes

What brought you onto the scene?

Car accident

So then what ended up being your responsibility ?

i was the lead investigator

What kind of responsibilities did you have as the lead investigator?

As the lead investigator, I responded to the scene. I talked to the driver and passenger and then documented the scene.

What was the extent of your involvement afterwards?

After the accident I also got involved with the evacuation of the Rapid River Valley area during the wildfire. I also helped the fire investigator - they were looking into potential causes and origins of the fire.

Describe for me the weather conditions that morning?

The conditions were horrible for nighttime travel. There was on and off rain all night and it was super dark.

When you arrived at the scene, what did you observe?

When I arrived, I saw a passenger vehicle off the roadway that had crashed into a utility pole. It was an MG&E electrical pole.

Can you please tell me who MG&E is?

Midlands Gas and Electric. They’re a big energy company out in that area.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the MG&E electrical pole following the incident?

Yes - it was in pretty bad shape. The pole was leaning - significantly. There was also some rust and splintering towards the top.

 And what type of infrastructure did you notice around MG&E’s electrical pole?

There were guardrails in the area, but they stopped give or take 40 feet before the actual utility pole.

 Did you call MG&E that night?

Yes. It was a holiday, so instead of waiting for dispatch I called them myself.

And how did MG&E respond to this call?

I was connected with MG&E employee Morgan Jacob. I told them about the crash and the location of the utility pole.  They knew exactly which pole I was referring to right away. I recommended that they send someone out soon to take a look at the damage.

What happened after you got off that phone call?

After getting off the call I remained at the collision site until 2:30 am.

Did anyone come on to the scene while you were there?

 Nope, I did not observe any representative from MG&E arrive on the scene.  

 Tell me, after MG&E never came on to the scene what happened?

A wildfire broke out

How long after were you notified of this fire?

2 hours after leaving scene

Did you respond to this call?

I helped with evacuations and traffic control. I brought in a fire investigator to take a look at the scene.

What did you do to investigate the cause and spread of the fire?

I shadowed the investigator during the examination, which included the area surrounding Dip Road and the damaged utility pole.

Can you describe any differences in the scene from when you last saw it?

I mean - it was on fire. All the dense vegetation around the pole prevented me from getting a super close look at it.

What did that vegetation look like earlier?

Earlier in the day I noticed dense trees, brush, and other vegetation around the powerline corridor.  In some locations the plants were thick enough where I couldn’t see some parts of it from the roadway. 

Taking a look at exhibit 1b, can you briefly describe what information is given within this exhibit?

That’s the fire investigator's preliminary report. I’ve adopted it as my own - regarding the origin and potential cause of the Dip Fire.

Now based on the burn patterns and depth of charring that was investigated, what was ultimately concluded?

The burn patterns and depth of charring showed that the utility pole and the area near the pole had been burning for some time before the vehicle ignited. Based on those findings, the vehicle was eliminated as the point of origin.