"Ladies and
gentlemen of the jury, you have heard a lot of evidence during this trial.
Some of it has been compelling, but some of it has raised more questions than
it has answered. In a few minutes, you will go into the jury room to begin
your deliberations. I just want to leave you with some thoughts on the case.
"First,
I ask that you keep in mind your charge. The judge will remind you in a moment
that you must find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. That's a high standard
and one that you should take very seriously.
"Second, remember that
the state, while they laid out a substantial amount of evidence, admits that
they mishandled this case. A police report is missing. Their own witnesses
give conflicting descriptions of the person they saw leaving the crime scene.
One saw a man with blond hair and the other saw a man with brown hair.
"The
third point to keep in mind is that it would be impossible for my client to
have been at the scene of the crime at the time it was reported. The state
wants you to believe he traveled 45 miles in 19 minutes -- that's 142
miles an hour -- down a road with 10 stop lights. At rush hour, no less. I'd
just remind you that in 11 years of driving, my client has never received
a speeding ticket.
"Finally, consider his record. He's a family
man with no criminal record and a history of being an upstanding, hard-working
person. Please keep all these factors in mind as you make this important decision.
If you do, I'm sure you will find that acquittal is the only clear option."
According
to Linda Miller, criminal defense lawyers spend most of their time in the
courtroom. Here, you have to be able to stand up and speak to an entire room
full of people. "For the most part, you need to be somebody who wants to be
up on your feet advocating for somebody in court," she says.