HUBBARD TRIAL Closing Arguments

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Posted by: Staff
Date: Jun 10 2016 5:11 AM

-The state and the defense will both have one hour each this afternoon to begin their closing arguments. The prosecution will begin at about 2:30 and go until 3:30. After a short break the defense will have one hour to present part of their closing argument. Court will adjourn for the day. Both sides will finish up tomorrow morning.

Mr. Duffy for the prosecution begins by telling the jury he will be telling the about things in the case that matter and things that don’t matter. He begins with the first 4 counts of the indictment, telling the jury that what Hubbard did was wrong. It doesn’t matter if he did what he did to help others, it doesn’t matter what his personal motives were it only matters that he broke the law. Duffy goes into the law and discusses how Hubbard used his office for gain for himself. The law which Jim Sumner called the heart of the ethics law says that no public official shall use or cause to be used his office for personal benefit.

Duffy also points out that he was paid by different companies to work on their behalf. Edgenuity, SEAGD, APCI, and Capital Cups all paid Hubbard to work for them, and that is wrong the only money he is allowed to take is what he is paid by the people of the state of Alabama. The fact that he took money from companies for doing his job is wrong.

Duffy says Hubbard lobbied on behalf of his clients. He worked to get favorable legislation passed for which he was paid. A public official is prohibited by law from making any money other than what the people of Alabama pay him. Duffy goes through the evidence he says shows how Hubbard used his office to help people that paid him to do so.

Duffy spends time talking about Bobby Abrhams and how Hubbard had a contract as a consultant with Capital Cups but when Abrhams has a problem he calls Hubbard for help and gets it not because he is a voter in Hubbards district but because his check depended on it.

Duffy says Hubbard lied to his friends. Duffy says to this day Hubbard has never told Josh Blades he had contracts with other vendors, he never told him he had a contract with capital cups, Josh asked is there anything more than APCI? And Hubbard said no.

Duffy says the evidence is clear. Hubbard lobbied Governor Bentley on behalf of Bobby Abrhams to get Abrhams a training center.

Duffy says the friendship clause in the ethics law is there to allow people who were friends before a person is elected to remain friends and both people must bring something to the relationship. They can go fishing together, they can go on vaction together, but they cannot do business together, of any kind. You can’t loan your friend thousands of dollars expecting to get paid back with interest. The law does not allow that.

Duffy finishes his 85 minute closing by showing an email Hubbard to Riley that says if I could just make $2 million dollars I would be OK. Duffy then shows a graphic that shows Hubbard and his wife made just over $2,3 million during the three years involved in this case.

After a 10 minute break Lance Bell begins for the defense. Bell stands in front of the jury box not near a microphone so much of what he says cannot be heard.  Bell tells the jury to look back through their notes and they will see no one ever said they were directed to use only craftmasters printers. Hubbard saved money by getting rid of his own commission, and that of the mailers who added 30% normally to orders.

Bell is talking about a person’s title, even Mr. Hart called Bob Riley Governor over and over. The fact is you just can’t separate the person from their elected position. Bell points to Jim Sumner and says there is the chief witness for the prosecution. An expert in the ethics law you know why he is sitting behind the prosecutors cause he is one of them, a government employee. Think about this the only witness they had that was on their side, and his testimony was totally different than everyone else’s. Bell settles into the witness chair and talks about  Bobby Abrhams and how he and Hubbard became friends.

Bell is interrupted twice by prosecution lawyers, both times the jury is escorted from the room and mic’s turned off. Finally Bell is allowed to resume only to tell the jury he has gone on long enough for one day and will see them tomorrow. Court dismissed at 5:25pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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