Depositions

Depositions are pre-trial questioning sessions done by attorneys to get some idea of what their opponents witnesses are going to say when and if they are called in court to testify. This allows time for each side to prepare whatever strategy they might have in court for dealing with what the witness is going to say. For example attorneys often look for inconsistencies between the statements given by the witnesses in their deposition and those they make in open court.

In this case what is particularly important about the depositions taken prior to McLean v. Arkansas is that those we have taken from the defendants witnesses are currently the closest thing available to their actual courtroom testimonies. Also of interest are the depositions taken by witnesses who were, for whatever reason, never called in court to testify.

Plaintiff

• Transcript of deposition of Reverend William S. McLean, plaintiff, taken on October 2, 1981 by David L. Williams (Deputy Attorney General, Arkansas).

Plaintiffs' Witnesses

• Transcript of deposition of Bishop Kenneth W. Hicks, taken on December 2, 1981 by Rick Campbell (Assistant Attorney General, Arkansas).
• Transcript of deposition of Father F. Bruce Vawter, taken on November 21, 1981 by Rick Campbell (Assistant Attorney General, Arkansas).
• Transcript of deposition of George Mish Marsden, taken on November 21, 1981 by Rick Campbell (Assistant Attorney General, Arkansas).
• Transcript of deposition of Dorothy Nelkin, taken on November 22, 1981 by David L. Williams (Deputy Attorney General, Arkansas).
• Transcript of deposition of Langdon Gilkey, taken on November 25, 1981 by Rick Campbell (Assistant Attorney General, Arkansas).
• Transcript of deposition of Michael E. Ruse, taken on November 23, 1981 by David L. Williams (Assistant Attorney General, Arkansas).
• Transcript of deposition of Senator James L. Holsted, taken on August 13, 1981 by Robert Cearley (attorney for the Plaintiff). Senator Holsted was the sponsor of Act 590 and was called by the plaintiffs as a hostile witness.
• Transcript of deposition of Francisco J. Ayala - Day One, taken on November 18, 1981 by David L. Williams (Assistant Attorney General, Arkansas).
• Transcript of deposition of Francisco J. Ayala - Day Two, taken on November 20, 1981 by David L. Williams (Assistant Attorney General, Arkansas).
• Transcript of deposition of G. Brent Dalrymple, taken on December 3, 1981 by David L. Williams (Assistant Attorney General, Arkansas).
• Transcript of deposition of Stephen Jay Gould, taken on November 27, 1981 by David L. Williams.
• Transcript of deposition of Dennis Glasgow, taken on December 2, 1981 by Callis Childs (Assistant Attorney General, Arkansas).
• Transcript of deposition of William V. Mayer, taken on November 23, 1981 by Steve Clark (Attorney General, Arkansas).

Defendants' Witnesses

• Transcript of deposition of Norman Geisler, taken on November 14, 1981 by Anthony Siano (Plaintiff attorney). Thanks to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville for supplying a copy of this deposition from their special collections.
• Transcript of deposition of W. Scott Morrow, taken on November 22, 1981 by David Klasfeld and Laurie R. Ferber (attorneys for the Plaintiff).
• Transcript of deposition of Jim Townley, taken on November 14, 1981 by Robert Cearley and Laurie R. Ferber (attorneys for the Plaintiff).
• Transcript of deposition of Wayne Frair, taken on November 25, 1981 by Thomas M. Lahiff.
• Transcript of deposition of Margaret Helder, taken on November 17, 1981 by Stephen G. Wolfe (Plaintiff attorney).
• Transcript of deposition of Donald E. Chittick, taken on November 18, 1981 by Thomas M. Lahiff (Plaintiff attorney).
• Transcript of deposition of Ariel Roth (not yet available), taken on November 16, 1981 by Stephen G. Wolfe (Plaintiff attorney).
• Transcript of deposition of Harold G. Coffin, taken on November 16, 1981 by David Klasfeld (Plaintiff attorney).
• Transcript of deposition of Nalin Chandra Wickramasinghe, taken on December 15, 1981 by David Klasfeld (Plaintiff attorney).
• Transcript of deposition of Robert V. Gentry, taken on November 24, 1981 by Stephen G. Wolfe. This includes a number of papers most of which seem to be correspondence between Gentry and various scientific and govt. organizations.
• Transcript of deposition of Garth Russell Akridge, taken on November 25, 1981 by David Klasfeld (Plaintiff attorney). Despite having been deposed Akridge did not testify at the trial.
• Transcript of deposition of Hilton Fay Hinderliter, taken on November 25, 1981 by Stephen G. Wolfe (Plaintiff attorney). Despite having been deposed Hinderliter did not testify at the trial.

Note: More transcripts of depositions are extant and will be added as the project is able to acquire them.