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Lewan Is Gone

Posted Mar 14, 2007 by Anthony McCartney

Updated Mar 14, 2007 at 05:29 PM

5:25 p.m.

The defense attorney’s table is empty.

There’s only a cup of water and a couple pitchers of water.

It seems his lead defense attorney, Dan Lewan, has already skipped town.

When court came back into session to hear the jury’s decision, Lewan wasn’t here.

John Couey is left with his two other attorneys, Alan Fanter and Mo Carranza, seated at a mostly empty table.

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“Get Everyone Together”

Posted Mar 14, 2007 by Anthony McCartney

Updated Mar 14, 2007 at 05:25 PM

5:18 P.M.

The door on the jury room cracked open about an hour and 10 minutes after jurors began their deliberations.

A bailiff walked inside, and another announced, “Get everyone together.”

Within a few minutes, the courtroom got very, very busy again.

The Lunsford family is taking their place in the front row, where they stood when John Couey was convicted of killing Jessica Marie Lunsford last week.

There’s a lot of buzzing in the courtroom as people continue to stream in. It’ll be a few more minutes before the jury is brought back in, and their decision is read.

If they choose the death penalty, it’s only a recommendation—Judge Ric Howard makes the final call about whether to sentence Couey to die.

That sentence will be handed down in a month or so, back up in Citrus County.

The courtroom seems to be about full.

“Judge is coming in,” a bailiff announces.

Stay tuned.

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Jury Makes Its Recommendation

Posted Mar 14, 2007 by Howard Altman

Updated Mar 14, 2007 at 06:06 PM

The jury has made its recommendation.

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In the Jury’s Hands

Posted Mar 14, 2007 by Anthony McCartney

Updated Mar 14, 2007 at 04:15 PM

4:06 p.m.

The jury began its deliberations around 4 p.m.

Toward the end of his closing arguments, Prosecutor Ric Ridgway read a quote to jurors from French Resistance fighter Joseph Epstein

Here’s the part of the Epstein’s quote that Ridgway read:

We do not choose to be born. We do not choose our parents. We do not choose our historical epoch, the country of our birth, or the immediate circumstances of our upbringing. We do not, most of us, choose to die; nor do we choose the time and conditions of our death. But within this realm of choicelessness, we do choose how we live.

Now the choice is jurors’. I’ll let you know when we hear that there’s a verdict.

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Jury Gets Instructions

Posted Mar 14, 2007 by Anthony McCartney

Updated Mar 14, 2007 at 04:02 PM

3:57 p.m.

The arguments are done.

Now there are only three things left: instructions, deliberations, verdict.

Judge Ric Howard is delivering the final instructions to jurors. In a few minutes, six men and six women will retire to a back room and their deliberations begin.

When we get a verdict, and what it is, is in their hands.

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