Expert Witnesses Crucial to Defendant in Penn State Stabbing

Centre County District Attorney Michael Madeira filed a motion Wednesday seeking to prevent Joseph Ventura’s attorney from using three expert witnesses in support of his client’s self-defense argument. Ventura is charged with the fatal stabbing of Penn State student Michael Donahue, 22. Ventura contends he acted in self-defense in the Feb. 19, 2006 altercation at Club Love. The defense is relying on three expert witnesses: toxicology expert witness Dr. Richard Saferstein, psychology expert witness Dr. Stanley E. Schneider, and pathology expert witness Dr. Jonathan L. Arden. Madeira argued in a motion Wednesday that none of these witnesses are relevant and is asking Centre County Judge Thomas King Kistler to exclude their testimony at trial, scheduled for Aug. 8-10 reports CentreDaily.com.