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Goal in opening statements is threefold. first of all, obviously, you want to highlight all of the incriminating evidence you will be able to prove that you will bring to their attention during the trial. almost as important as highlighting the incriminating evidence is not hiding any of the weak spots from the jury. you want up front for the jury, anything that might feel like a short ball in the evidence. the one thing the prosecutor never wants to hear in a defense opening statement, buddies and gentlemen, let me tell you what the prosecutor did not tell you about the weakness in his or her...

After this alleged abuse occurred. but prosecutors started out with a very clear, at times dispassionate, explanation of the events, talking about a victim named jane who was 14 years old at the time. they say that she met both maxwell and jeffrey epstein at summer can when she was only 14 years old. prosecutor laura pomerantz, the u.s. assistant attorney, said what jane did not know was at that summer camp would be the beginning of a nightmare, calling both maxwell and epstein predators. an opening statement lasting approximately 30 minutes. when i left the courthouse a while ago, the defense...

At the defense, and talk about rick gates who is a central witness here. the defense opening statement focused on rick gates who is paul manafort's deputy. and look, it was all this guy, the guy who is cooperating who is going to be testifying against our client, he is the guy in this. you can't trust him. >> it is often the approach of defendants where it is always someone else's fault. it seldom works especially in a case like this where the evidence will be visible to the jurors. they will see how much money came in, how much money was reported. and they will see the signatures on all of th...

Of money in, but an ostrich jacket is bought by somebody who is flamboyant and wants to sort of really relish and wear their money. >> someone who has been spending too much time around the oligarchs former soviet republic possibly. >> exactly. but it is going to make a defense that he wasn't involved in his business is very hard. >> so jill, we got to first look at the defense, and talk about rick gates who is a central witness here. the defense opening statement focused on rick gates who is paul manafort's deputy. and look, it was all this guy, the guy who is cooperating who is going to be t...

Reasonable doubt. the defense is usually the one that raises a lot of questions, because the defense is trying to establish reasonable doubt. so in my opinion, he did hit on a number of significant points for the prosecution, but he spent a lot of time on things that i think are relatively clear. i think it is clear to those jurors that george zimmerman followed trayvon martin. in the defense opening statement, the defense conceded that. the position has been he followed him, but that's not illegal. for the prosecutor to spend very precious closing time on that, you know, may have been a bit m...