b'and at 7:30 p.m., some 3-1/2 hours after she French health-freedom heroes Daniel first began grilling Mr. Halsall, the presid-Hofnung & Sylvie Rulekowski on eithering judge adjourned the trial for the day.side of Lyn Thyer The trial was set to reconvene on the followingday,Tuesday,March23rdat 1:30p.m.withthetestimonyofLynda Thyer to start. DAY 2 of the Noakes/ Thyer TrialTuesday, March 23, 2021Oneofthefundamentaldifferenc-es in the French legal system is that the presidingjudgeofeverythree-orfive-judgepanelactslikeaprosecutor.No pretense is ever made of impartiality or fairness. Those of us who are used to the Anglo-Saxon common-law system of trial take for granted that a judge or any panel of judges will be impartial or at least pre-tend to be fair, while the prosecuting at-torney is the nasty one who tries to make his or her case stick. But, not in France. The judge is the one who bores unmerci-fully into the witnesses and defendants as if he or she were the prosecuting attorney. In fact, I suspect that one of the easiest her reading marathon and the actual trialintosubmission,whereshelapsedbackjobs in the French legal system is to be a could begin. into silence and some fidgety hair twirl- prosecutor. You can just sit back, play vid-The presiding judge began by question- ing. Actually, at one time about five of theeo games online, keep twirling your hair, ingdefendantDavidHalsall,whostoodwomen there were involved in idly twirl- and let the judges do your job at trial for front and center at a slender podium with aing their hair such that it made me won- youup to a point.translator at his side as he answered ques- der if I had stumbled upon some sort ofThisseconddayofthetrialsession tions. It was difficult for me to hear andFrench hair-twirling contest. Of course, Ilastedfrom1:42p.m.until8:52p.m.;it understand the judge at times as she spokecould never do that with my own hair, sowas a long day. Only two witnesses were through a mask and in rapid-fire French.it made it all the more remarkable to me. questioned by the Prosecutor aka the Pre-Basically, Mr. Halsall admitted his guilt toDuring all of this, David Noakes wassiding Judge: (1) Lynda Thyer for over four the charges and answered the judges ques- in the prisoners box of glass windows andhours; and then (2) her sister Leslie Banks tions as best he could. However, when thewood, flanked by two guards. He also hadforaboutthree-and-a-halfhours.David judge did not get the answers she wantedthe use of a translator, but this translatorHalsallputinoccasionalguestappear-orwasexpecting,shewouldrepeatedlywas not as diligent about translating forances whenever the judge felt the urge to press Mr. Halsall for the desired answer.David as the other one was for Mr. Halsall. call him up to the podium to stand beside Essentially, she was doing the prosecutorsMr. Halsall spoke about his work foreitherLynorLeslieBankssothejudge job for them and all the prosecutors had toDavidNoakesinFranceandwithstoodcould play his testimony off against that do was sit back, smile, and occasionally re- theharshquestioningofthepresidingof the sisters. Although the pay was lousy, spond with head nods to the judge whenjudge. At one point, near the end of theMr. Halsall seemed to enjoy the chance she looked their way for either support orquestioning,herespondedyetagaintoto stretch his legs and play the celebrity guidance, it was hard to tell. the judges insistent questioning with Iguest wondering Why am I here again?Mr.Halsallsattorney,adiminutivesimply did what I was told. I didnt knowYou might well ask why Leslie Banks butfeistythin,youngwoman,wouldthatIwouldhavetofaceaNurembergwas even there at this trial. We all do. Af-fromtimetotimedefendMr.HalsallsTrial, thereby provoking an unintendedterall,shedislikesDavidNoakes(and answerswithargumentstothepresid- escape of laughter from Lyn and me. viceversa),theyhaventspokensince ing judge, but the judge was not havingAllinall,Mr.Halsalldefendedthe2013, and at that time Ms. Banks had actu-any of it and eventually beat the attorneyquality and safety of the GcMAF productally started a competitive company selling GcMAF skin cream. Keep in mind that the 8 H ealtHF reedomN ews /s priNg2021NHF_Spring_2021_5-13-21-FINAL.indd 8 5/13/21 9:54 AM'