The trial judge only heard from Rose and Robert’s public defender.
• Neither Florence nor Rebekah ever took the witness stand.  Their attorney did not present their case.  Instead, the trial judge granted their “motion for judgment” and the trial concluded.  The judge ruled that Rose had not sustained her burden of proof, meaning that even if Florence and Rebekah put on their case, Rose could not win at trial, so there was no reason for the trial to continue.
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• Rose Wendland and Robert’s court-appointed public defender immediately appealed the decision to the Third District Court of Appeal, located in Sacramento, California.  That court issued its ruling in February 2000, from which Florence and Rebekah appealed to the California Supreme Court.
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