The Closing Argument that convicted Louise Woodward

part TWO... An excellent closing statement by Gerard T. Leone Jr. ,Middlesex District Attorney
Do not commit a crime in Middlesex County, Mass.
I am sorry i don't have the video.
The Louise Woodward case concerned a young English au pair fairly convicted,at age 19,of the 1997 involuntary manslaughter of eight-month-old Matthew Eappen while he was in her care in his home in Newton, Massachusetts, in the United States.
Five days after being admitted to the Children's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, Matthew Eappen fell into a coma, and died on 9February1997 from a fractured skull and subdural hematoma.He was also found to have a fractured wrist,an unnoticed and unexplained injury from a month earlier.Dr Lois Smith,an ophthalmologist,observed retinal hemorrhages judged characteristic of shaken-baby syndrome.
On 30October1997,after 26hours of deliberations,the jury found her guilty of second-degree murder. She faced a sentence of a minimum of 15 years to life in prison under Massachusetts' law.
Judge Hiller B. Zobel reduced the conviction to involuntary manslaughter and told the jury to go screw themselves.

Category:

Education

[mrface19]

That's not knowing it for certain. Don't say things in that manner unless you were there. For all you know the parents were the guilty party...

[mrface19]

Yes, because you know that for certain, don't you?

[blackdencc]

i turns out the baby died of natural causes.

[Emjomaker]

It is so easy to get tired out by a difficult baby but in no way is it acceptable to be rough and shake them you should just put them in their bed and leave the room to cool off if your stressed. I honestly am not sure what I make of it she knows if she is guilty or not that's the unfortunate thing the evidence is mixed I do think she probably shook him in frustration though but didn't intend to kill him ... Never shake a baby ...

[ChrisIIIcube]

@ciarogciarogeile Neither you, nor the defense team could ever explain the perimacular folds... meanwhile, the circumstantial evidence spoke volumes. 

[ciarogciarogeile]

@pokerrich9 exactly. He's trying to get the jury to decide the verdict on the basis of a hypothetical situation for which there is no solid proof, rather than on the evidence presented in court, which is exactly what the judge reminded them to do, in fact. Whether she did it or not, the jury is still required to use the evidence rather than the conjecture put forward by this guy. This kind of emotionally provocative language and storytelling should never be admissible in court.

[ciarogciarogeile]

@ChrisIIIcube I did watch the entire trial, thanks very much. I also remember watching it live at the time when I was only small, with my mother. So yes, I do know what I'm commenting about. Glad we've cleared that up.

[ChrisIIIcube]

@ciarogciarogeile If you did not watch the entire trial ...then you do not know what you are commenting about.

[ciarogciarogeile]

@pokerrich9 it was a witchhunt. she was wrongly convicted, them who say she was guilty need only look at the fact that she was released, since the case was based on circumstantial evidence, which implicated the parents of the baby as much as it did her. he had a fracture to his arm from months before she travelled to the US, which was not on any hospital records. they killed him through neglect, i have few doubts about that. but the trial itself was a circus, with this guy and his greasy speech.

[pokerrich9]

@ciarogciarogeile im in shock that this took place, this is soemthing that would happen in 16th century england but now happens in 20th century america...embarassing

[pokerrich9]

@ChrisIIIcube this is a total joke, this imaginative story telling would not be allowed in the UK and goes against the rule of law... surely it is for the jury to decide on the events they thought took place than to be lead into thinking what took place through imaginatve story telling

[pokerrich9]

@numba1danman totally agree, where is the defence team in all this, the guy is just going on some sort of disney imagination which he has manifested in his own world without evidence to support. wow america your criminal justice system is shameful...