Here’s the direct questioning of Charu by the federal prosecutor (typos are part of the transcript):
Q Ma’am, would you state your name and spell your first and last names for the record.
A Charu Kumarhia. C-H-A-R-U, last name, K-U-M-A-R-H-I-A.
Q And how are you employed, ma’am?
A I work with WLOS Sinclair Broadcasting.
Q How long have you been employed within that capacity?
A With these guys, I’ve worked for three years.
Q Since you mention “these guys”, what did you do before you joined WLOS?
A I worked for a TV station in Huntsville, Alabama.
Q All right. As part of your – and you’re a reporter, the so-called on-air talent, I think is the term they use. Is that right?
A Yeah, that’s right.
Q All right. As part of your duties, did you go to the home of Mr. Ward, the gentleman seated over here in the wheelchair, on or about June 8th of this year?
A We did.
Q All right. And who went with you?
A A photographer and an intern.
Q And what was it that prompted you all to go there?
A Mr. Ward called us and said that he wanted us to speak out on the Supreme Court decision giving the federal government a right to pursue anybody smoking marijuana for the use of medicinal purposes.
Q And what happened once you all got there?
A We interviewed Mr. Ward and we asked him – I asked him, “Do you smoke marijuana?” And he said, “Very rarely, but on occasion.” And I said, “Would you smoke that for this story? We are doing a story about marijuana use.” And I said, “Look, if it worries you a little bit, you know, I understand. That’s fine. We can use file video from CNN or ABC, the network.” And he said, “Well, let me see what I can do.” He made a phone call, then asked us to leave.
Q All right. Now, we didn’t have a rule on witnesses here so you were sitting here while the previous witness, Mr. Simpson, was testifying, weren’t you?
A Yes.
Q Okay. Were you able to hear what he said?
A Yes. Most of it.
Q All right. So as you heard Mr. Ward’s version that he gave to the officer, was that it was the news folks who asked him to do it. Whose idea was it for him to obtain marijuana?
A We suggested “would you want to do it?”
Q All right.
A And he said – he did mention that he was on parole. I said, “Look, if this worries you, you don’t – don’t do it. I don’t want to get you in any trouble. I don’t want you to panic.” And he made a phone call to someone and then he said, “Look, my friend is going to bring this over but he’s worried, doesn’t want you guys to be here. Could you leave?” And I said, “Well, we do have other stories to do. We’ll be back in an hour.” We came back in an hour and a half.
Q All right. So you all were not in the vicinity for an hour to an hour and a half there?
A That’s right.
Q All right. What happened when you got back?
A We got back and Steven was there as well as a friend of his. He introduced me to the friend. I don’t really remember the gentleman’s name. And he had a little, looked like a Tylenol bottle with the label torn off, and he poured out what looked like to me to be brown leaves, and rolled a cigarette and smoked it once or twice.
Q All right. And did your camera person record that?
A Yes.
Q And then what happened after that?
A And we left.
Q All right. So just one or two puffs, the same thing you heard a few minutes ago.
A Yeah. One or two puffs. It was on camera. “Steven,” we said, “we need to videotape. That’sobviously part of the story.”
Q And I’ve marked as Government’s Exhibit 1 a videotape labeled “WLOS TV, 11 p.m., Medical Marijuana.” Did you bring that here today pursuant to a subpoena?
A I did.
Q And what’s contained on this videotape?
A This is the actual story that aired that night, including a tease that ran right before the news.
Q All right. Is that the only thing that’s on this tape?
A I believe so, yes.
Q So if I rewind it to the beginning, we won’t be watching extraneous stuff. It will be the stuff concerning Mr. Ward?
A It should be, yes.
MR. EDWARDS: All right. Your Honor, at this point I’d ask permission to have this admitted into evidence and to play it.
THE COURT: Mr. Brewer, any objection?
MR. BREWER: No, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Let it be admitted.
MR. EDWARDS: Thank you, sir.
(Government’s Exhibit No. 1 received.) (Videotape played.)
MR. EDWARDS: Thank you. I have no further questions.
I worked with Charu in Huntsville. I see her judgement hasn’t changed a bit.
This guy smokes pot, right?? So he smoked it on air – big freakin’ deal. This is less about the t-v station and more about a poor m-s sufferer getting in trouble with the law.