Beyond A Reasonable Doubt Page #7

Not until my client told me

yesterday, Your Honor.

- Is this true?

- Yes, Your Honor.

- And you have evidence to support this?

- We do.

Your Honor, I am not

even gonna begin to deal

with how insulting

and defamatory this is.

However, it is obvious that

the defense is desperate.

They're trying to create a jury nullification

so you'll call for a mistrial

because they know

they're going to lose.

You cannot allow them to present

this ridiculous defense.

The prosecution opened

the door, Your Honor,

by introducing last-minute

forensic evidence.

My client is on trial for his life.

He should be given every latitude.

You say you have evidence.

I'll give you a chance to present it.

I will not... I repeat, will not

let you simply make wild

and damaging accusations.

Understand me, Mr. Nicholas?

Oh, there will be no mistrial.

There will be a contempt of court

citation for you, Mr. Spota,

if your proof turns out

to be not proof.

- We understand, Your Honor.

- You may continue,

- although you are on a very short leash.

- Thank you, Your Honor.

Now, CJ, please tell the court

why you have done this.

I had been investigating

the DA for some time.

There had been a series of cases

in which last-minute forensic evidence,

always DNA, was introduced.

So I investigated further

and I became convinced that

the DA was planting evidence.

But why go to such

extraordinary lengths?

It was my last resort.

My editor told me to back off it.

I couldn't make my suspicions

public without proof.

- So what did you do?

- I found out the details of the case

from Detective Nickerson. Then I went out

and bought a Jack Russell terrier

and got him to bite me

on the left calf.

Then I bought the switchblade,

the pants and the sneakers.

This is a receipt for the sneakers

I'd like to mark

as Defense Exhibit A.

You can see that it is clearly dated

three days

after the murder took place.

This is a receipt for the sweatpants,

Defense Exhibit B.

Again, dated after the murder.

So if you bought the sweatpants

after the murder took place,

how did the victim's blood get on it?

The only answer

is the DA put it there.

So you're saying because the DA's case

was purely circumstantial,

he planted the evidence to tie

you to the murder scene?

Yes.

No further questions,

Your Honor.

That's it?

That's the proof

that I'm a calculating

dishonest man?

Not to mention a felon?

A couple receipts

for a pair of sweatpants?

My office and myself

is a bastion of corruption

because you bought

a pair of sweatpants

a few days after the murder.

I've got to hand it to you,

you're something else.

- And the sneakers.

- Oh, the sneakers.

I forgot about the sneakers.

Well, that seals the deal right there.

Judge, you've got to put

the cuffs on me right now.

I agree.

Do you...

and I use this word very loosely...

do you have any proof?

I made a DVD

documenting the purchases.

- Everything.

- And where is that DVD?

My colleague who shot it...

was killed in an accident

on his way to the courthouse.

And the disc was destroyed.

Well, I'm very sorry

about your colleague.

But other than you saying

that you have a DVD

that backs up your claims,

is there...

and I use this word

again lightly...

is there any proof

that that DVD exists?

I'm sorry,

I didn't hear your answer.

Answer the question,

Mr. Nicholas.

- No.

- No, you will not answer the question

or no you have no proof it exists?

No, all you have is my word.

Well, that's kind of on

shaky ground right now, isn't it?

That's not for me to say.

You know what, Mr. Nicholas?

That's the first thing

that you've said

that I agree with.

It's for the jury to decide, isn't it?

Now I have just one more question,

one little pesky question.

The fact that you bought

a pair of sneakers

and sweatpants sometime

after the murder,

the fact that you bought anything

after the murder,

does that mean that you couldn't

have owned a pair of sneakers

or sweatpants or bought

anything else for that matter

before the murder?

I'm sorry, I did not hear

your answer.

I guess not.

Thank you.

Despite the sensational claims

made by the defense,

CJ Nicholas was found guilty

today of first-degree murder.

It took the jury less than five hours

to return a verdict of guilty

in the murder trial of Channel 8's

CJ Nicholas.

Sentencing is next week.

DA Hunter said that the state

will seek the death penalty

due to the viciousness of the crime.

Thanks.

Thanks for coming.

What's wrong with you?

Of course I'd come.

I have a speech.

I've been rehearsing it

over and over.

God knows I've had the time.

I kinda thought I had it down,

you know?

But now my mouth's all cotton.

Okay, here it goes.

The last time I saw you,

you said that you believed in me.

You said you knew

I couldn't have done this.

Then you saw the evidence at the trial

and you said to yourself,

"I want to believe him.

I have to. "

There's all this evidence.

So much.

And then the DNA evidence.

That was the last straw, wasn't it?

It was the clincher.

That's why you now think I'm a murderer.

- I don't.

- Yes you do.

And it's all right.

You don't have to lie.

I don't blame you.

I just want you to listen.

If there was ever a time

that you loved me,

if there was ever a time you thought

I was a good person,

then I want you to hear this.

What I said at the trial was true.

The DNA was planted by your boss,

just like he planted the DNA evidence

on that cigarette in the Andre Benson case.

Now I know you've never met a defendant

that didn't protest his innocence,

but I swear it's true.

Finley had the disc that proved it all.

And I think that Hunter had him killed

because the disc that Finley had

locked in his desk went missing.

I know that sounds crazy.

- I believe you.

- Listen to me.

I'm asking you not to believe me.

I'm begging you to go

and find out for yourself.

Be skeptical.

Be suspicious.

Do some digging on your own.

I know how good you are.

Please, you're my last hope.

Why would I ask you to do

any of this if I'm guilty?

Why would I ask you to find out

the truth if the truth was bad for me?

Because you have nothing left to lose.

Oh, Ella.

You're so so wrong.

I have you to lose.

Death by lethal injection...

that was the sentence

handed down by the jury

in the CJ Nicholas murder trial,

the verdict

in the penalty phase of the trial.

Nicholas, when asked

if he had anything to say,

maintained his innocence

and said that the real facts

would someday be revealed.

Nicholas was driven from the court

directly to death row

at the Louisiana State Prison

where he will live in complete

isolation for up to 20 hours a day

until his appeal process is exhausted.

This is not a happy day

for anyone.

No life is more precious than another.

Doris Ruth Owens's life

was taken from her.

We cannot bring that back.

And the young man CJ Nicholas

has forfeited his life.

There's nothing to celebrate.

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