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Dan Markel— Case Archive
Charlie Adelsontrial-daytrial-dayGeorgia CapplemanDan Rashbaumjury_instructionsclosing_argumentrebuttal_closingverdictjury_polljury_dismissalsentencing_schedulingDay 8 - November 6, 2023Final instructions and closing arguments preceded guilty verdicts on all three charged counts. The court remanded Charles Adelson pending sentencing and ordered a presentence investigation.
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Day 8 - November 6, 2023

Closing Arguments, Guilty Verdicts, and Sentencing Scheduling

Judge Stephen S. Everett
12Proceedings
7Pages
0Witnesses
217Lines
3Sidebars
Day 8 of 8
Appearing:
Georgia Cappleman Dan Rashbaum

Final instructions and closing arguments preceded guilty verdicts on all three charged counts. The court remanded Charles Adelson pending sentencing and ordered a presentence investigation.

Full day summary

The court gave final instructions on the charged offenses, reasonable doubt, witness credibility, and unanimous verdicts before closing arguments. Georgia Cappleman argued for the State that the evidence supported its theory of Charlie Adelson's involvement; Dan Rashbaum argued that conflicts in the evidence and an extortion account created reasonable doubt; and Cappleman replied for the State. After deliberations, the jury returned guilty verdicts on first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and solicitation to commit first-degree murder. Each juror affirmed the verdict during a poll. The court remanded Adelson pending sentencing, ordered a presentence investigation for Counts 2 and 3, and set a December 12 case-management date.

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1. Jury Instructions

The court finalized jury-instruction edits and instructed jurors on the charges, burden of proof, witness credibility, separate verdicts, unanimity, and the verdict form before closing arguments.

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Procedural
Jury Instruction Corrections
35 lines

The court addressed final instruction edits, approved a laptop for the jury room, and reminded spectators of courtroom rules.

Jury Instruction
Final Jury Instructions
4 lines

Jurors received final instructions on the three charges, reasonable doubt, credibility, deliberation, and separate unanimous verdicts.

Highlights

Final Jury Instructionsprocedural actionThe court instructed the jury on the elements of the three charged offenses, including principal liability, conspiracy, and solicitation.

2. Closing Arguments

Georgia Cappleman finished the State's closing argument, Dan Rashbaum presented the defense case for reasonable doubt, and the State replied in rebuttal.

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Closing
Closing Argument - Georgia Cappleman Georgia Cappleman
36 lines

The State argued that the evidence tied Charlie Adelson to the alleged murder conspiracy, urged jurors to reject the extortion defense, and requested guilty verdicts.

1 sidebar inside this proceeding
  1. References to Prior Trial ArgumentsRashbaum objected that Cappleman was discussing defenses from earlier trials that had not been introduced into evidence.
Procedural
Break - Defense Setup for Closing Argument
17 lines

The jury took a break while Rashbaum prepared for his closing argument, then returned to the courtroom.

sidebar
Closing Arguments Before Lunch
8 lines

Rashbaum asked that the State give its rebuttal before any lunch break.

Closing
Closing Argument - Dan Rashbaum Dan Rashbaum
36 lines

Defense counsel argued that conflicts in the evidence and an extortion explanation left reasonable doubt, then asked jurors to acquit Charlie Adelson on all counts.

1 sidebar inside this proceeding
  1. Jury Speculation During Closing ArgumentCappleman objected to Rashbaum’s comments about juror speculation, citing the instruction that reasonable doubt is not speculative, imaginary, or forced.
Rebuttal
Rebuttal Closing - Georgia Cappleman Georgia Cappleman
7 lines

The State rebutted the defense's extortion and reasonable-doubt arguments, urged jurors to evaluate the evidence and credibility, and requested guilty verdicts.

Highlights

Closing Argument - Georgia Capplemanevidence eventThe State synthesized its asserted motive, communications, travel, payment, and recording evidence as a chain linking the defendant to the alleged murder conspiracy.Closing Argument - Georgia Cappleman“The Prius led to Garcia and Rivera, which led to Magbanua; the bad blood and the divorce led to the Adelson family; the wire confirmed the defendant's specific involvement.”— Georgia CapplemanConcise statement of the State's claimed evidentiary path from the crime scene and family conflict to the defendant.Closing Argument - Dan Rashbaum“What you see in this trial is a mountain of reasonable doubt that arises from the evidence itself, from a conflict in the evidence, and from the lack of evidence.”— Dan RashbaumThis states the defense's central closing theme.Closing Argument - Dan RashbaumconfrontationDefense counsel challenged Katherine Magbanua's reliability and argued that her testimony and the payment pattern supported an extortion account rather than the State's theory.

3. Jury Deliberation

Jurors received deliberation guidance, the three alternate jurors were dismissed, and the court recessed to await a jury note or verdict.

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Jury Instruction
Deliberation Guidance and Alternate Dismissal
9 lines

Jurors received deliberation guidance, the three alternates were dismissed, and the court recessed pending a note or verdict.

4. Verdict

The jury confirmed a unanimous verdict, and the clerk published guilty verdicts on all three charged offenses.

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Verdict
Verdict
16 lines

The jury returned guilty verdicts on all three counts.

Highlights

Verdictprocedural actionThe clerk published guilty verdicts on all three counts: first degree murder, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, and solicitation to commit first degree murder.Verdict“The defendant is guilty of first degree murder.”— [court clerk]The clerk announced the jury's guilty verdict on the first-degree-murder count.

5. Jury Poll

Each juror confirmed the announced verdict was their own and the jury's collective verdict.

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jury poll
Jury Poll
26 lines

Each juror confirmed the announced verdict during a defense-requested poll.

6. Jury Dismissal

Judge Stephen Everett thanked the jurors and discharged them after the two-week trial.

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jury dismissal
Jury Dismissal
2 lines

The court thanked the jurors, explained their privacy rights, and discharged them from service.

7. Sentencing Arrangements

Charles Adelson was remanded pending sentencing, and the court ordered a presentence investigation and set a December 12 case-management date.

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sentencing scheduling
Presentence Investigation and Sentencing Scheduling
21 lines

Charles Adelson was remanded pending sentencing; the court ordered a presentence investigation, permitted Zoom victim-impact testimony, and set a December 12 status date.

Highlights

Presentence Investigation and Sentencing Schedulingprocedural actionThe court remanded Charles Adelson pending sentencing and ordered a presentence investigation for Counts 2 and 3.
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