| Revision as of 04:15, 30 May 2006 edit69.236.163.213 (talk)No edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 20:41, 5 June 2006 edit undo66.162.64.213 (talk) →External linksNext edit → | ||
| Line 44: | Line 44: | ||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| *http://www.courttv.com/trials/polk |
*http://www.courttv.com/trials/polk | ||
| *http://www.pogash.com/magazine.html | *http://www.pogash.com/magazine.html | ||
| *http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/qws/as/qr?term=%22susan+polk%22&smode=and&Submit=S&scope=term&source=&dmode=preset&period=30d&minm=01&mind=01&miny=2006&maxm=12&maxd=31&maxy=2006 | *http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/qws/as/qr?term=%22susan+polk%22&smode=and&Submit=S&scope=term&source=&dmode=preset&period=30d&minm=01&mind=01&miny=2006&maxm=12&maxd=31&maxy=2006 | ||
Revision as of 20:41, 5 June 2006
Susan Mae Polk (born Susan Bolling in 1958) is a mother of three, who is accused of murdering her husband, Dr. Frank "Felix" Polk. Dr. Polk was a prominent Berkeley psychologist, who was found with numerous stab wounds in the pool house at the couple's upscale Orinda, California home in 2002. She is being held without bail at West County Detention Facility in Richmond.
Background
In 1972, Susan Bolling was a gifted student growing up in suburbs of Oakland, California. Her parents were divorcing and her mother wondered if Susan was trying to shut out the emotional turmoil of the divorce. Later, a school counselor at Clayton Valley High School in Concord, California recommended therapy for Susan after she refused to attend classes. He suggested an expert in adolescent behavior, Felix Polk.
Life with Felix Polk
Felix Polk began treating Susan in 1972 when she was 15 years old. Within a year, however, the doctor-patient relationship changed. Susan claimed that they first had sex when he drugged and raped her. Felix was, at that time, a married father of two.
Susan went to Mills College, an all-womens' school nestled in the Oakland hills, before moving to San Francisco State University where she graduated. She stopped seeing Felix as a therapist, but the personal relationship continued.
In 1982, Polk divorced his wife, prominent concert pianist, Sharon Mann, and married Susan, a woman literally half his age. According to Susan, he was a domineering and manipulative husband, obsessed with controlling her life. Susan and Felix eventually had three sons: Gabriel, Eli and Adam.
In 2001, Susan Polk filed for divorce. She was looking for a place to live in Montana when her husband went to court and received control of the house and custody of their three sons.
Murder charges
Currently, Susan Polk is charged with murder in connection with the October 13, 2002, death of her husband in a cottage on the couple's $2 million estate in Orinda, California. If convicted, she faces 25 years to life in prison.
Prosecutors claim the murder of Polk was a cold, calculated attempt by his wife to gain control of his multimillion dollar estate, but defense attorneys claim Susan Polk had long been controlled, abused and battered by her husband and she acted in self-defense when he flew into a rage and attacked her.
Susan's former defense attorney, Daniel Horowitz, claims that she had long been a battered wife under the physical and emotional control of her husband.
Trial
The trial began on October 17, 2005, but was declared a mistrial, because of the slaying of Pamela Vitale, the wife of her lead attorney, Daniel Horowitz.
On January 20, 2006, a judge removed her lawyer Daniel Horowitz after he said he had a conflict of interest. Polk, who has fired three other attorneys who have represented her, said recently that she wanted Horowitz off her case. . On January 31, 2006, after a two-hour hearing, Judge Laurel Brady set Polk's trial date for February 27, 2006.Polk was later allowed to serve as her own attorney.
On February 27, 2006, jury selection began in a jury assembly room where 300 prospective jurors arrived. Judge Laurel Brady has said the trial may last as long as 2 1/2 months.
On March 7, 2006, prosecutor Paul Sequeira gave his opening statement in what would prove to be a high-profile trial, with spectators, TV legal analysts and reporters showing up at a Martinez, Calif. courtroom to watch the spectacle of Polk representing herself and repeatedly bickering with the judge and prosecutor. Those who couldn't attend the trial in person would follow the case daily on various Internet Web sites and legal talk shows on TV. Adding to the drama was testimony against Polk by two of her sons, Adam and Gabriel, and testimony on her behalf by her third son, Eli.
On May 17, 2006, Polk began testifying in a narrative format.
On May 24, 2006, Eli Polk was convicted by a jury of misdemeanor battery against an ex-girlfriend, violating a restraining order and violating probation in connection with two arrests in March at the home where his father died.
On May 25, 2006, the prosecutor began cross-examining Polk.
External links
- http://www.courttv.com/trials/polk
- http://www.pogash.com/magazine.html
- http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/qws/as/qr?term=%22susan+polk%22&smode=and&Submit=S&scope=term&source=&dmode=preset&period=30d&minm=01&mind=01&miny=2006&maxm=12&maxd=31&maxy=2006