Daphne Wright Not Testifying
One question was answered today: No, Daphne Wright wasn’t going to take the witness stand.
No one really expected her to. She made such a horrible witness in the police interrogation, it would have been lunacy to put her on the stand and subject her to cross-examination.
We’re still uncertain about exactly how tomorrow will go.
Court will open at 8:30 a.m. to go over jury instructions. It doesn’t sound like there are going to be any serious disagreements. The lawyers are hashing over some of those issues right now.
The jury will come in about 10 a.m. and the law will be explained to them.
Then, closing statements.
And after that, the jury retires - it’s assumed jury members will be sequestered in a local hotel.
How long will deliberations take? No one knows. When the jury comes back, phone calls will be made to family members, lawyers and others involved in the case. They will be given time to return to the courtroom.
Considering that someof Darlene VanderGiesen’s family comes from Rock Valley, the judge might give everyone quite a bit of warning to be in court before the jury comes in and announces its verdict.
For now, it’s basically dull legal stuff.
From Chuck Baldwin’s blog http://blogs.argusleadermedia.com/voices/
Commentary: I don’t expect Daphne Wright to testify. However, I am surprised that the defense team has already rested their case and the trial will be wrapping up tomorrow with the jury sequestered to a local hotel. Like others, I expected it to last longer. Did the defense team created enough reasonable doubt or not? MZ
email contact: mishkazena@aol.com
One question was answered today: No, Daphne Wright wasn’t going to take the witness stand.
No one really expected her to. She made such a horrible witness in the police interrogation, it would have been lunacy to put her on the stand and subject her to cross-examination.
We’re still uncertain about exactly how tomorrow will go.
Court will open at 8:30 a.m. to go over jury instructions. It doesn’t sound like there are going to be any serious disagreements. The lawyers are hashing over some of those issues right now.
The jury will come in about 10 a.m. and the law will be explained to them.
Then, closing statements.
And after that, the jury retires - it’s assumed jury members will be sequestered in a local hotel.
How long will deliberations take? No one knows. When the jury comes back, phone calls will be made to family members, lawyers and others involved in the case. They will be given time to return to the courtroom.
Considering that someof Darlene VanderGiesen’s family comes from Rock Valley, the judge might give everyone quite a bit of warning to be in court before the jury comes in and announces its verdict.
For now, it’s basically dull legal stuff.
From Chuck Baldwin’s blog http://blogs.argusleadermedia.com/voices/
Commentary: I don’t expect Daphne Wright to testify. However, I am surprised that the defense team has already rested their case and the trial will be wrapping up tomorrow with the jury sequestered to a local hotel. Like others, I expected it to last longer. Did the defense team created enough reasonable doubt or not? MZ
email contact: mishkazena@aol.com
April 10th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
I strongly feel that the defense team will appeal after the jury makes their verdict. They’ll bring that up to the higher court…to keep appealing, appealing until someone thinks that the system is flawed.
I was surprised that it went so quickly.. it is not like OJ Simpson’s trial which takes months and months. But Daphne’s - only a week or so? Is that a fair trial or?
My eyes are watching this trial very closely because of a significant precedent that may cause based on what the jury’s verdict.
Crossing my fingers.
Amy Cohen Efron
April 10th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
I think because they are spending lot of money on interpreters so they feel that they have to speed things up not to incur extra expenses for the state to pay. Court interpreters are very expensive and they have about five interpreters in this court (i may be wrong).
April 10th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
OJ spent lot of money on his defense team, i think daphne’s lawyers are doing probono or maybe her parents cannot afford to spend alot of money on her lawyers so they have to squeeze lot of things in short time. Money speaks loudly and lawyers will elaborate if they are paid well.
April 10th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
About costs for interpreters, according to the Argus Leader (newspaper in Sioux Falls that I get about two or three times a week), it costs $1300 a day for 3 interpreters. It is already eating up 1/3 of the public defender’s office budget and they have other murder cases that they are working with.
Public defenders are a team of lawyers working for the county that defend those who cannot afford a lawyer for themselves. So usually they are always under stress to get their work done and give as best defense for the person as possible.
Anyway that was what the article talked about in the Argus Leader about what they do, their caseload, and the budget they have. Interesting huh?
April 11th, 2007 at 2:08 am
Interesting, indeed. Does this mean the defense is cutting corners and getting it over quickly just because of the interpreter cost? Is this being fair to the defendant, or deaf people in general? What a precedent.
April 11th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Interesting, Jessica. They didn’t spare any expenses ensuring that Wright’s rights as a deaf person are being protected, that’s for sure.
Many people were caught by surprised when the prosecutor rested their case so shortly. Their job was to prove Wright’s guilt. Wright’s lawyers poked holes in prosecutor’s arguments and also tried to show reasonable doubt of Wright’s guilt. They were arguing for an accidential death and that her ex-lover could have done the murder.
Overall, the evidence looks pretty damning, even though the chainsaw was never found.
My impression is that P.D, is fighting hard to convince the jury the murder wasn’t premediated. Was it? Also why was the plastic bag used if it was an ‘accident’? Both can lead to death sentence.
April 11th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
What kind of accident leads one to put a plastic big over the head of the victim? To attempt to burn the victim? To cut up the victim? To dispose body parts and “evidence” in various places?
The evidence is damining, most definitely. Especially the fresh coat of paint in the basement.
April 11th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Yeah, I can see what you mean Peyote Pete. Actually, two things that the defense is implying is not only that it may be a accident but also that someone else may have been involved. Daphne may have just done the cutting up of the body but someone else may have killed her. I don’t really see how that can be because what will the motive be? Daphne has the motive obviously.
Anyway, because it is possible that it was an accident, the prosecution has agreed to let the jury consider lesser charges of 2nd degree manslaughter, to let them decide if it was actually murder on purpose or accident. Changes everything in the case.
What happened to that chainsaw? I wonder how Daphne explained why she bought it for and what she use it on and why she not have it anymore? Seems like noone has the answer to that question. Seem not relevant to the case?
Dianrez, good question. Will that affect how they work the case? Will it affect their decision to appeal bec that would mean they will still need interpreting services and all.
Will be curious to see how all this turns out.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Right now the court is assembling for the verdict to be read.
What sticks in my mind: why was the defense so short?
Did Daphne continue to deny to her defense lawyers her involvement, so that prevented them from presenting a plausible explanation for the plastic bag, chainsaw, etc.? Suppose there are good reasons for those which proves murder occured out of passion, not premediation, but Daphne, not understanding that, still denies involvement of any kind? It could make a difference in the penalty phase.
April 13th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Maybe this will help clarify something.
The public defender’s office is not watching the budget. They are limited in terms of the number of people they have, but in terms of the defense they put on - such as how many interpreters - they do what the court allows.
They didn’t try to shorten the defense to save money.
The way it works is that if they go over budget, the money is simply put in from somewhere else.
There might be reasons to criticize the defense … but not because of being cheap.
April 23rd, 2007 at 6:23 pm
A public defender has no expenses that aren’t paid for by the county or state, so no worry about that. I mea, the public defenders are not losing their paychecks via this case. It’s free for them. And for Wright.