Ruling Elder David’s is first.
Witnesses have been asked to arrive at Midway Presbyterian Church at 7:30 pm on November 29, 2021.
According to the email sent by the three besieged elders, they petitioned the Session for several reasonable indulgences:
- The men requested that the session refer the trial to presbytery to act as the court of original jurisdiction because “evidence shows that it is impossible for the remaining members of the Session to set aside their biases and prejudices and act as impartial judges.”
- They requested the trials be held in public and not secret.
- They requested draft minutes from the October session meeting prior to the meeting in which they were supposed to enter their pleas.
- They requested that certain aspects of the trials be combined, such as witness testimony, “to economize everyone’s effort.” Embedded in this ask was a request that the trials not be started in the evening and held all night long as in RE Dudt’s.
- They requested and offered to pay for a professional court reporter and videographer during the trials to avoid low-quality transcripts and remove delays, both of which plagued RE Dudt’s trial.
- They requested their letter be entered as official correspondence. that the trials not last all night, as did RE Dudt’s.
All items were denied except a decision to not hold all-night trials.