Gettleman for the defense

Jacob stands smoothly, walking toward the gathered jurors. He walks with his chin up, and the light seems to catch off his jaw-line just so - and he seems a bit *too* conscious of the fact. Stopping a few feet from the jury box, he clasps his hands before himself and says, grimly, "The death of Fulton Hight was a tragedy. From the outset, let me assure you," he points to Ada Anderson. "She did end his life. We aren't contesting that. But, when you hear from the state's witnesses, when you hear their evidence, I want you to keep in mind that you must be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that my client ended his life as an act of malice - rather than mercy. You see, Fulton Hight was already doomed to die of terminal radiation sickness. The prosecution's evidence will show this much. He was dying *anyway*. The professor asked my client to end his suffering. Sympathetic to his agony...she complied. The state will present no witness and no solid evidence that this *is not* the case. Keep that in mind. To prove Ada Anderson acted with malice, the state must first prove she did not act on Professor Hight's request. The state may parade many witnesses before you - some of questionable reputation themselves - trying to smear Ada Anderson's name. Credibility is an issue. The prosecution has built an impressive-sounding case from a flimsy deck of cards. It won't take much common sense to knock it down and see that the state has not done the job it was charged to do: Prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Ada Anderson did this in cold blood, rather than an act of mercy." He lets his eyes drift from one juror to the next, then nods and walks back to his chair, taking a seat. - 1999, during the trial of Ada Anderson.