x-2-p-1(1)
6-8-78
Carolyn [Layton]:
After I received an answer to my letter from Dr. Terasaki’s office which I sent on to you last week, I called them and got the following:
- Other states do do the HLA tests, including Florida, but they use them for transplant, not paternity. For this reason, Terasaki’s office does paternity tests on blood samples from all over the world; yesterday they got one in from Finland and they regularly get samples from places including South America. The tests have to be coordinated so as to be mailed air express direct to Terasaki’s place – they said they have no problem with one day delivery – (our problem would be I suppose getting American express transport)
- The laboratory that takes the test should put the samples on the plane, not the putative father, with papers certifying that that is what was done, to satisfy objectivity.
- Parents do not have to be in the same location; and one parents tests does not have to be submitted at the same time as the other parent. They prefer to receive both sets from both parents at the same time because sometimes serological problems arise and second blood samples have to be taken all over again, but they are not closed to the idea of taking one parents samples and processing them and making the analysis and later doing the same on the other parent’s. Not understanding the medical process myself, I would assume that Larry [Schacht] and Marcie [Marceline Jones] & the rest of the people there familiar with this kind of things would understand the directions outlined in the material I sent you last week.
I would assume the test would have to be done in Georgetown; I dont know how feasible that is, but I doubt you could get blood tests from Jonestown to Georgetown and on to Los Angeles in 24 hours; also, the objectivity would not be present if the tests were done in Jonestown. BUT, this all depends on how Georgetown courts view this whole thing because they might likely honor the Jonestown testing. Perhaps Larry could work with a Georgetown hospital and do the whole test there and not have to forward the samples on to Los Angeles.
- Dr. Iverson would have none of working on the case in reference to getting the blood samples and contacting the Terasaki clinic; he said it should all be done directly through our Georgetown attorneys since that is where the case is happening. (He could likely change
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x-2-p-1(2)
his mind later if we handle this right — sometimes if we bring up a thing and he’s against being in on it, later he gets curious and if its presented just right, he changes his position entirely…as [Terri] Buford is so familiar with….)
For now, he would not consider challenging the other party to a paternity test – is concentrating only on the libel suit – takes great pains and time to explain to me that “theyll handle that down there” in reference to the Georgetown courts and attorneys, and that we needn’t worry about Georgetown court attitude toward this case… Spends so much time explaining it to me, I wonder why….
He was in a good mood when we saw him this time, that may have had a part in it – spent 1/2 hour talking about his part in Los Siete trial…
you can imagine…
/s/ June