CALLS FOR JUSTICE

GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES…NO QUESTION!!!

A yelp of joy escapes the family and the jury is released with thanks.

I will sleep very well tonite after doing a bit of a happy dance at 3:15 am EST!

Yikes!  What a strange trial.  So much of MacNeill’s character, or lack thereof, was withheld from the jury as the state was hobbled from presenting it.  The jury would have had a field day!  And, what was up with the defense witnesses?  They added nothing to the defense,  A complete joke.

Dypsy did no good other than proving she’s a liar.  Hopefully the jury realizes all the inmates had basically the same story.

Today will be long with the discussion of jury instructions.  Guess it’s all going to hinge on closings.

We begin about the directed verdict based on the arguments yesterday.

Court denies the directed verdict.

Neither side takes issue with the final jury instructions.

Jury receiving copies of the jury instructions.  The big thing here, that is the toughest, but most interesting is the instruction on reasonable doubt.

Alexis in court, as is Rachel.

Reasonable doubt…. up to prosecution to prove.  Proof that leaves you firmly convinced of the defendants guilt.  If you find a reasonable doubt, you must find the defendant not guilty.

The judge isn’t just breezing through this, he’s reading with feeling.

A bunch of testimony certainly goes to depraved indifference!

Both sides stipulate this was not a suicide.

Grunander on closing.

Claims MacNeil murdered Michele.  It was not a heart condition.  It was a planned out murder.  He had the knowledge and means.

Pros has placed a beautiful photo of Michele on an easel.

The case is dripping with motive.

Dypsy took the stand and said their relationship was casual trying to protect MacNeill by minimizing the relationship!

MacNeill’s motive and knowledge and know-how are doing him in!

While we have all complained how dull this trial has been, I have to give kudos to Grunander for this closing.  He is beautifully laying out the timeline and weaving all the testimony together to present the full story!  He is highlighting all of MacNeill’s lies.

Between 9”30 and 11 on the 11th, nobody knows where MacNeill was.

Grunander thanks the jury for their time and attention, wraps up a beautiful closing argument and ties a neat little bow around it!

Uggggg, Spencer on closing.  ‘I’m a rambling man’ is going to be playing in my head!

Spencer has brought in huge flip charts.

He thanks the jury for their service.

Accuses the pros of cherry picking to make his case.

Oh lord, he is telling the same Aesop fable Gustin opened with.

MacNeil was living an alternative lifestyle and that justifies moving Dypsy in!!!!!

Holy guacamole!

MacNeill was in the wrong place at the wrong time!

This is insulting.  He’s treating the jurors as idiots..

MacNeill didn’t interfere with Dr. Fricke’s autopsy.

Ummmm, except he lied to her!!!

Oh, I get it now.  Spencer attended a different trial than us!

Nancy Grace did it with the candlestick in the library!

Spencer is playing medical examiner and failing because he’s losing the jury.

Says all 3 ME said myocarditis. Perper said no myocarditis!

Spencer is blowing smoke big time.

I just want to bitch-slap the grin off Spencer’s face.

Says Alexis’ testimony was ever changing.

Ben Casey and Dr. Kildare were far better medical shows.

Donchais going for the nail gun!!!  Also looking for whatever rusty nails I have on have on-hand.

Spencer is only proving the village idiot is missing!

Court observers report the jury is into an intense game of hangman!

As usual, Spencer is all over the place and not presenting a cohesive timeline.

Guess Spencer believes if he slings enough BS, something may stick!

Where is Quincy ME?

Boy, this def closing is one of the worst I’ve seen.  A rousing razz berry for the defense!

State to finish.

Perkins says what you’ve heard in arguments is not evidence.

Follow the instructions, not speculations.

He’s beating the crap out of Spencer’s speculation.

It’s not up to the ME to decide the cause of death, it’s up to you!

You are the fact finders from the entire body of evidence.

Arrhythmia doesn’t leave a footprint.  Can only be proven if the patient is hooked to a heart monitor while dying.

Why weren’t there signs of struggle?  She was drugged!

Good on Perkins blowing the defense out of the water!

Spencer, can you say, ‘oh crap?’

Way good closing by pros!

There is no way all these witnesses could have colluded to create these stories against MacNeill!

Pros needs to shut down…jury tired.

Know when to stop!

Bench…

Wow, just saw the strings hanging out of the back of Spencer’s, suit jacket!!!!

Jury given the case and sent to lunch; alternates named.

Jury watch on!

Folks have been asking how MacNeill ended up with Gustin and Spencer for attorneys.  Just my opinion, but consider the media flurry in this case and couple that with Gustin and Spencer are working pro-bono and I see Gustin and Spencer attempting to further their careers via publicity.  Much like an attorney from Florida did!

Also, just my opinion, but Jason Poirier did a better job with cross than Spencer did!

Continued cross of Inmate 1 is painful and just going over the same stuff.

Says he got no deal from anyone for testimony.  He came forward because murder just isn’t right.

As usual, Spencer going line by line, out of context.

Make Spencer shut up and it down already.

State recalls Gypsy ‘Dypsy’ Willis.

She claims the affair was over when she got arrested and they had no contact.  She even told the judge that.

No it comes out the writing back and forth.  The affair wasn’t over!

They go through a number of letters that clearly indicate they were still together and using endearing terms with each other.

Gypsy, Gypsy, Gypsy!  She’s been snagged big time in a lie!

MacNeill went so far as to draw up a common law statement to shut people up!

They were making future plans.

In all of their letters, they were professing their love for each other,

Gypsy, can you say PERJURY????

She sure has been impeached and now they are trying to figure out 5^th amendment issues as she lied to a peace officer.

Morning break.

So, if she takes the 5^th, the jury will see how much she lied and see right through her!

Pros got the name, Carol Smith out.  She was apparently the go-between passing MacNeill and ‘Dypsy’s’ letters.  There was supposed to be no contact!

She really placed herself between the dog and the fire hydrant!!!

Bet she’s thinking she can get away with all this, the sociopath! This is by far, the best of this trial!

Judge asks if she will answer questions truthfully.  She will not take the 5^th!

Trying to pull her butt out of the fire!

‘Dypsy’ back up.

You told investigator you could not see yourselves together and you were terrified of MacNeill in 2010?  Yes.

Gustin on cross….

Do you intend to continue your relation with MacNeill?  No, we haven’t spoken in years.

Jury questions…

When did you obtain the marriage license?  In the summer of 2007.

State is resting at this point.

Defense calls Jim VanZandt.  Co-worker of MacNeill. Nurse practitioner.

They all wore lab coats most days.

Says he saw MacNeill on the 11^th and he was going to pick up his daughter from school.

His phone rang later and MacNeill was distressed and said he was performing a code on his wife.

Cross…

MacNeill called you and said he was performing a code on his wife.

Who the heck calls a co-worker while performing a code????

Describes how CPR is done.  None of which applied to Michele’s position.

You don’t have a specific time that the defendant went to get his daughter?  I recall I thought it was an appropriate time.

Jury questions…

Was it common for you and MacNeill to discuss family issues?  Yes.

Defense calls Linda Strong.  Ada’s teacher.

She saw MacNeill picked up Ada around 11:30.

Defense calls Tammi Black.  Parole officer for Jason.

She met with him maybe 8 times.  Times she went to his home he wasn’t there.

She did meet him in a store for a minute or two, once.

Her contact with him was minimal.

That’s it?  Boy this is a bust!

Defense motions for a directed verdict of acquittal.

Basically saying the pros has presented nothing!

Spencer is braying and blowing foo-foo dust all over the place!

State says BS, BS, and BS!

All of this is about how to instruct the jury!

Omg, Spencer can’t help having verbal diarrhea!

Court now called for attorneys and lunch.

Judge Pullan denies directed verdict!  Good on you, Judge!

Defense told to call next witness.

Brett Besser.  Oh, the ergonomics specialist!  Will testify why MacNeill couldn’t lift Michele from the tub, lol!

Question is if he got permission from the gov to testify.

He saw pics of the bathroom and put a surrogate in the tub to re-enact lifting.

Can you say pseudo science? Michele wasn’t unconscious, she was dead!

Don’t look at the man behind the curtain!  We also ate tacos and drank margaritas.

That damn potato toe and MS are doing MacNeill in!

So, did OSHA approve his testimony???

Pros making mincemeat here.

Pead’s doing a good job here.

This guy is so bogus…bought no records and doesn’t remember 90% of stuff, What BS!

This guy is no more an expert than I am!!!

Pead has shown his true grit today!  Impressed!  He’s on fire!!!

Redirect…

Is water on the floor in your calculations?  I may have indicated it would make it more difficult to lift.

He is released.

No rebuttal!!!

Tomorrow will be instructions. And we’re off till 8:30 in the morning!

Worst defense I’ve ever seen!!!!

I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one confused yesterday afternoon!!!  Skipping over the 4th inmate really threw a wrench into the works.  To me, it was a lost day for the prosecution because they didn’t accomplish what they thought they would.

Can’t wait to see ‘Dypsy’ again!  (best line of the day IMO!!!)

Jason Poirier gets limited use immunity from the state for his testimony!

State calls Jason Poirier.  He’s got his gangsta garb on.  He and MacNeill were housed in a state facility.

He knew MacNeill was a doctor.  He would read MacNeill’s stories and poetry.

He was in jail for violation of probation and theft charges.

They spoke about MacNeill’s shoes because MacNeill was a trustee he had privileges and said he gets a lot of things.  “I’m getting away with the murder of his wife.”

They spoke again about Michele a few days later.  MacNeill said, I’m glad the bitch is dead.  MacNeill said the relationship was going downhill and Michele said she wasn’t going to let him continue cheating with his girlfriend.

He asked MacNeill if he was serious about his wife and he said yes; look where I’m at.

He then asked to be moved to another unit.

Cross…

You gave an interview in this case?  Yes.

You were truthful?  Yes.

Truthful isn’t your strong suit?  Yes.

You lifted a laptop and lied about it to police?  Yes.

He wrote a letter to the judge saying how hard it was to be in jail and not watch his little girl grow up and asked the judge for mercy.

After your release you continued to sell fake Rolex watches?  No.

A person caught you in July 2012 and to dissuade him from reporting it you told him your aunt was with the police department?  Yes.

You gave her name as Tammy Black who was actually your parole officer?  Yes.

Boy, this guy is a real winner!  Spencer is bringing everything from his past up.  Beating a dead horse.

After you were arrested you met my client?  Yes.

You thought MacNeill was joking about his wife?  Yes, he was always joking.

MacNeill told you he was glad the bitch was dead?  Correct.

You were facing serious charges?  Yes.

While incarcerated you had a number of calls with your wife?  Correct.

You discussed other criminal activities?  Yes.

About drugs and how is wife could obtain them?  Yes.

Your landlord so you could defraud him?  Yes.

Spencer into full on bore mode. He’s into skipping around and taking things out of context.

So far this guy is coming across as credible.  More so than Spencer, lol.

Spencer’s garments are in wad!

Shhh…donchais sneaking up to the podium with Bic lighter and setting all records on fire!!!

Redirect…

Did you think you would get leniency on all your cases?  Yes.

Pros rehabs witness very well!

Says he had to come forward because he was afraid MacNeill would be free to do these things again.

Danger Will Robinson!  Spencer back up and snake alert is high!

All in all, Jason was a good witness.

Jury questions…

What is GPS?  GPS is still part of being monitored.

Judge calls lunch.

We are back.

State calls inmate # 1.

He’s 38 and currently imprisoned since 2007.  Still has 9-10 years to serve for drugs and firearms.

He knows MacNeill from Texarkana computer class till 2010.

MacNeill was on TV and he recognized him on Nancy Grace.

MacNeill told him the Grace show was done because his girlfriend was about to get out.

That meant to him that his girlfriend was also incarcerated.

MacNeill said they can’t prove anything so he didn’t know why they kept running it.

MacNeill told him he gave Michele Oxy and some sleeping pills and got her to get in the bathtub.  He had told him he had to help Michele because he held her down.

MacNeill said authorities couldn’t prove anything.

This was a good on Nancy moment!

Did doc write his girlfriend?  Yes.

He later found out MacNeill had been arrested for the death of Michele.

After speaking with family he decided to come forward with what he knew.

Cross…

I just used a nail gun on my own head!                                                         

Goofy is back to reading lines from certain pages and skipping around again.

MacNeill said he was in prison for writing scripts.

Can anyone say nitpicking?  Raise your right hand!

I just can’t transcribe any of Goofy’s bs!

Says MacNeill just kept dosing Michele to get her relaxed enough to hold her down in the bath.

Says he came forward with what he knew because he thought MacNeill would do the same to his girlfriend.

Mr. Spencer?  Does the home know you’re gone?  Because you are!

Jury out of interest, judge calls for a stretch and bottled water for jurors.

Know what’s really scary?  Spencer is supposed to be the best of defense attorneys in the state!

OMG!  Spencer just doesn’t get and has a ton more!  Just kill me now!

Jury is now hanging from the rafters and the gallery is running out ripping their clothing off.

In regards to Spencer, Mormon or not, stupid is as stupid does!

Ben Winslow @BenWinslow

Gypsy Willis’ attorney took his briefcase and left. No testimony from her today.

I surgically want to remove Spencer’s face.

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, Judge Pullan says enough!

We begin again at 8:30 MT.

Seems no closing tomorrow!