Jesse and Tawara Goode - Page 13

                                        -13-                                          
          neglected to confirm independently petitioner’s physical                    
          condition, she did not doubt the veracity of his alleged health             
          complications, because she regarded petitioner’s representative             
          as a prominent, trustworthy attorney and observed petitioner in             
          what may be inferred to have been impaired physical health.                 
               Teal’s testimony excerpted above conflates petitioner’s                
          emotional suffering with the consequent physical reaction                   
          petitioner experienced as a result of that trauma.  This                    
          illustrates the fact that the District conceived of petitioner’s            
          illness, although evidently grievous, as emanating from a                   
          physical manifestation of emotional distress encompassed within             
          the limitation set forth in the penultimate sentence of section             
          104(a).  Petitioner’s divergent positions during the course of              
          the proceedings regarding the cause of his injuries further                 
          indicate that his symptoms exhibit the hallmarks of a stress-               
          induced condition.  At trial, petitioner testified that negative            
          publicity engendered by the Washington Post’s investigative                 
          reports was a substantial contributing factor to the onset of his           
          ailments:                                                                   
               Q    You testified that you had a physical and                         
               emotional reaction to this whole process.  Did this                    
               publicity have any effect on that, and if so, what?                    
               A    Yes.  This was a significant component of the                     
               whole problem. * * * But there is my name in The                       
               Washington Post.  You know, my name is at the city                     
               council hearing when they had the investigation.  So                   
               yes, all this publicity had a huge impact on me.                       






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