Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Day One: Defense; "Rivera is a liar"

Wittman says it doesn't matter what the police think, or what the rest of the world thinks. That it doesn't matter what she and the prosecution argue as they interpret testimony.

"It's all about the witnesses...and you," Wittman tells the jury.

While Proseuction said Rivera was important, but not the be-all-end-all witness in this case, Wittman tells them that the people's case DOES revolve around Sammy Rivera being the driver of the Red Neon being alone in the vehicle, with the exception of the baby.

She says that because of Rivera's problems and "lack of telling the truth," that he will "spin" his retelling of the event so much that "you will believe his story."

Wittman says the Prosecution wants the jury to feel sorry for Rivera that "he had to witness this, that he had to be arrested."

She goes on to say that the prosecution themselves will say that Rivera was lying, and with that "the smidges start coming out of the woodwork." She tells the jury to ask themselves if this testimony shows them that the 2 minute window from a "Code 4" to Lindsey's death allowed for a "planned execution."

Wittman then asks the jury not to allow the witnesses to blur together, to listen carefully, and to remember that those testifying are "not to bear false witness."

"If you lie about the small things, you will most certainly lie about the big things," she said. "And it does not get any bigger as a police officer getting shot and falling on your car."

She then asks them to remember if they woke up and picked up the newspaper or watched the news and saw that Lindsey had been killed the night before.

The translator continues to translate all of this to Flaco, who just watches his attorney speak.

Wittman says that many people woke up that morning and "knew what happened, and knew who did it." She then goes on to say "Does knowing what happened mean you did it?"

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