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Donna Adelsontrial-daytrial-dayGeorgia CapplemanJackie L. Fulfordsidebarjury_instructionsclosing_argumentrebuttal_closingverdictDay 9 - September 4, 2025Final instructions and closing arguments preceded guilty verdicts on all three counts; jurors confirmed the verdicts during polling.
← Day 8Donna Adelson

Day 9 - September 4, 2025

Final Instructions, Closing Arguments, And Guilty Verdicts

Judge Stephen S. Everett
18Proceedings
4Pages
0Witnesses
520Lines
5Sidebars
Day 9 of 9
Appearing:
Georgia Cappleman Jackie L. Fulford

Final instructions and closing arguments preceded guilty verdicts on all three counts; jurors confirmed the verdicts during polling.

Full day summary

Judge Stephen Everett finalized the jury instructions after Donna Adelson confirmed that she would not testify. The court removed second-degree murder and manslaughter from the Count 1 options, denied the defense request to introduce additional calendar pages while permitting admitted calendar material as closing demonstratives, and instructed jurors on the charged offenses, reasonable doubt, and Adelson's right not to testify. In closing arguments, the State argued that family communications, payments, recorded calls, a handwritten script, and travel preparations supported its allegation that Adelson participated in a murder-for-hire conspiracy. The defense argued that the State had not proved her intent, agreement, solicitation, or payment role, and challenged the prosecution's interpretations of the relocation dispute, witness accounts, phone and travel evidence, and the recorded undercover call. In rebuttal, the State disputed the extortion account and again asked jurors to return guilty verdicts. After deliberations, the jury found Adelson guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and solicitation to commit first-degree murder. Each juror confirmed the verdict during polling. The court adjudicated her guilty, ordered a presentence investigation on Counts 2 and 3, remanded her for sentencing, and set later proceedings.

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1. Final Jury Instructions

Donna Adelson confirmed that she would not testify as the court finalized jury instructions, verdict-form language, and the parties' preparation for closing arguments.

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Procedural
Jury Instruction Colloquy — Lesser-Included Waiver, Calendar Rule-of-Completeness Ruling, Renewed JOA
81 lines

Donna Adelson waived lesser-included offenses on Count 1; the court denied additional calendar evidence and the renewed motion for judgment of acquittal.

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Final Consultation on Testifying
26 lines

The court confirmed Donna Adelson's decision not to testify and discussed final consultation time and preparations for instructions and closing arguments.

Procedural
Jury Instruction Colloquy — Lesser-Included Waiver, Calendar Rule-of-Completeness Ruling, Renewed JOA (Resumed)
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sidebar
Instructions, Testimony Decision, and Closing Slides
40 lines

The sidebar addressed homicide-instruction language, Donna Adelson's firm decision not to testify, and defense review of the State's closing presentation.

Jury Instruction
Final Jury Instructions
33 lines

The court instructed jurors on the charges, burden of proof, witness evaluation, deliberation rules, and verdict form.

Highlights

Jury Instruction Colloquy — Lesser-Included Waiver, Calendar Rule-of-Completeness Ruling, Renewed JOArulingAfter Donna Adelson confirmed that she understood the strategy, the court removed second-degree murder and manslaughter from the Count 1 jury-instruction options.Final Jury Instructionsjury eventThe court instructed jurors on the elements of all three charged offenses, including conspiracy, solicitation, and principal liability.Final Jury Instructions“The defendant exercised a fundamental right by choosing not to be a witness in this case. You must not view this as an admission of guilt or be influenced in any way by her decision.”— Stephen EverettDirects jurors not to draw an adverse inference from Donna Adelson's decision not to testify.

2. Closing Arguments

Closing arguments continued, with the State and defense disputing what the communications, payments, recorded calls, and travel evidence showed before the court instructed the jury for deliberations.

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Closing
Closing Argument - Georgia Cappleman Georgia Cappleman
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Cappleman argued that the evidence tied Donna Adelson to an alleged murder-for-hire conspiracy; the court overruled a defense objection about burden shifting and the right to remain silent.

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Lunch Recess Before Closings Georgia Cappleman
12 lines

The parties discussed taking a lunch recess after the State's initial closing so the defense could eat, prepare additions to its closing, and set up.

Closing
Closing Argument - Georgia Cappleman (Resumed) Georgia Cappleman
8 lines

Cappleman argued that recordings, documents, and alleged travel preparations undermined the extortion account and supported the State’s conspiracy theory.

Procedural
Lunch Recess — Demonstratives Admitted as Court Exhibits
20 lines
Procedural
Ruling on Non-Admitted Calendar Pages for Defense Closing
19 lines

The court barred defense use of unadmitted calendar pages in closing while allowing the admitted pages and books as demonstratives.

Closing
Closing Argument - Jackie L. Fulford Jackie L. Fulford
31 lines

Fulford urged jurors to find that the State's case against Donna Adelson relied on disputed inferences, not proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Break Request and Lectern Placement Jackie L. Fulford
7 lines

Counsel raised possible jury fatigue and requested a break while discussing the remaining time.

Closing
Closing Argument - Jackie L. Fulford (Resumed) Jackie L. Fulford
65 lines

Fulford argued that the undercover call, travel evidence, and circumstantial record did not prove Donna Adelson's involvement beyond a reasonable doubt.

Rebuttal
Rebuttal Closing - Georgia Cappleman Georgia Cappleman
8 lines

Cappleman rebutted defense themes, urging jurors to weigh the text, financial, and family-communication evidence together and reject the extortion account.

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Request for Additional Time Georgia Cappleman
5 lines

The parties discussed a request for additional time.

Rebuttal
Rebuttal Closing - Georgia Cappleman (Resumed) Georgia Cappleman
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Cappleman completed the State's rebuttal and asked for guilty verdicts; the court then instructed jurors and sent the case to deliberations.

Highlights

Closing Argument - Jackie L. Fulfordevidence eventFulford played the undercover bump video and argued that Donna Adelson's response and later call to Charlie Adelson were consistent with the extortion account rather than coded communications.Closing Argument - Georgia Capplemanevidence eventThe State played recorded calls from the undercover-operation evidence and argued that Donna Adelson's responses supported its theory of shared knowledge and coded discussion.Closing Argument - Jackie L. Fulford“They have no evidence of it. It's just their theory. That's all it is. You can't convict somebody based on theory. You have to have evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.”— Jackie L. FulfordThis states the defense's central reasonable-doubt argument about the contested travel and phone-record interpretation.

3. Jury Deliberation

After excusing two jurors, the court instructed the remaining jurors to begin deliberations, with recorded-call transcripts kept outside the jury room.

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Jury Instruction
Deliberation Instructions and Jury Sent to Deliberate
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Jurors received their instructions and notepads, were told to leave recorded-call transcripts outside the jury room, and began deliberations.

Highlights

Deliberation Instructions and Jury Sent to Deliberatejury eventThe court excused Tiffany Dance and Chantal Tolbert and directed jurors to take their instructions and notepads while leaving the recorded-call transcripts outside the jury room.

4. Verdict

The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation charges; the court adjudicated Donna Adelson guilty and remanded her for sentencing.

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Verdict
Verdict
79 lines

The jury returned guilty verdicts on all three counts, confirmed unanimously by polling; the court adjudicated Donna Adelson guilty and set sentencing proceedings.

Highlights

Verdictjury eventThe court 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.”— Stephen EverettThe court's publication of the jury's verdict on Count 1.
← Day 8Donna Adelson