HUBBARD TRIAL Closings Part 2

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Posted by: Staff
Date: Jun 10 2016 11:18 AM

-court begins with the judge announcing that as it involves one count of the indictment concerning Mr. Hollbrook. The judge tells the juey that the state could not compel Mr. Hollbrook to testify. The jury is not to infer or give any weight to the fact that he did not appear concerning that part of the indictment.

Bill Baxley starts out for the defense by thanking the jury for their attention, their patience, and their hard work. Baxley says he is satisfied that the jury will do what they promised and that is to render a truthful verdict. Baxley tells the jury they can infer that the reason the state brought so many charges was they hope at least some of them will stick, but if even one does the Hubbard family will be devastated. The state has not offered even one bit of real proof of Hubbard’s guilt. Baxley says the jury’s common sense is the thing that will help them determine the truth of this case. Baxley says thank God for the jury system. It is the only thing that allows a person to be treated fairly.

You heard a lot about the “mantle of office”, but that phrase does not appear in the ethics law anywhere, nor is it mentioned in any statute or law of this state. Baxley says he stayed up late last night thinking about all the charges and all the things that were presented. I thought how I might present it to you, Baxley said. Then this morning as I was shaving and brushing my teeth it occurred to me that you know the facts of this case, you paid close attention, many of you took notes, I don’t need to stand up here and go through all this again you’ve heard it over and over again.

I will only have this one chance to convince you of my clients innocence. Mr. Hart will get up here after I sit down and carry on for anoth 25 minutes or so, so I just want to remind you of a few key points.

The first 4 counts about the Republican Party. Mike never told anyone they had to use craftmasters. They were using craftmasters before Mike was ever chairman. I think I will just take this marker and x out those indictments cause they didn’t prove any of that, so there is no need in me talking about that anymore. Just x all that out.

Baxley said he wanted to talk a little bit about lobbyists. Lobbyists are required to register. Principles are also required to register. The reason Baxley says that he is only charged in four cases of taking $150,000 dollars is because they could not prove there was any kind of crime committed. The 4 charges are because those people are principles and required to register. They could not prove that any of those people expected to get anything from Mike. Do you really think that Jimmy Rane expected to get something from Mike Hubbard, but tha’s enough of that so I’m going to mark through that part of the indictment no need to worry ya’ll with that anymore.

Duffy told you that Hubbard hung out a sign that said this office for sale. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mike never voted one time for any bill that Riley asked him to. Mike never even discussed the bills. Bob’s daughter told you Mike told her not to ask him about a bill cause he was not going to support it.

Let’s talk about the SEAGD, they called him he never called them. He also got the gas district to get approval for him work for them. The gas district even had their lawyer send the contract up to Sumner who put his seal of approval on it all, before Mike ever started.

10 min. break…

Baxley continues at 10:15. Baxley says Hubbard did not use his office in any way, shape, form or fashion. He turned down jobs because he thought they might be an ethical proble, remember that education thing he turned down. Mike was always careful not to break the law.

There are 4 counts involving Mr. Abrhams. You heard about a patent that Mike worked on because Abrhams was paying him, but they never proved he got paid. Mike got paid to help find leads for Capital Cups. There just isn’t any truth to it. So we can just mark out the parts about Abrhams cause there is nothing to it.

Then the friendship clause, Minda and Bob Riley told you about having been friends long before either was elected to office. I almost could not believe what I was hearing when they told you that the friendship clause does not apply, that is the craziest thing I ever heard.

That budget bill vote is something I just don’t think we need to spenad much time on it but you do need to remember that the bill was fixed. As soon as Mike found out about it he got it fixed. They want you to think he made that vote thinking he was doing so for APCI. The reality is and you heard it, was that Mike knew the language would be taken out, he voted for the entire budget not that little piece.

I got about 40 more things I could talk about but I’m gonna go back to where I was and thank you for your thoughtful consideration of these charges and bring back a not guilty verdict on all charges and we thank you. Baxley done.

Van Davis is up for the prosecution. Let’s get this straight we are not the government we are prosecutors that represent the people of the state of Alabama a grand jury brought these charges not us and Mr. Baxley knows that.

Mr. Sumner a man who spent 20 years of his life making sure that the rules were followed. The only thing the defense can say about Sumner is he used a hypothetical about a vacuum cleaner. They think this is a joke but we don’t we are honored to bring this case forward for you.

They want you to listen to them talk about how craftmasters was the best company, they did good work, they have good prices. All that may be true but that is not what the defendant is on trial for he is on trial for directing money to a business he owns which is against the law.

They have this theory that the defendant was always going to the ethics commission to check, but he never got a formal opinion. He did everything he could, what a joke, Hubbard didn’t get formal opinions because he doesn’t care, he is bulletproof he can do whatever he wants.

Jimmy Rane is a nice man, I like Jimmy Rane, I think he is sincere. But don’t you think for a minute that his $150,000 dollar investment was not a way to put the speaker of the house in his pocket so he could get help for Marion Millitary institute.

This man right here is full of greed, and a desire for more power. Mike Hubbard did not represent the people of this district and this state. He used his poer to get more money and more power.

Let me tell you a little about his greed. The evidence showed that his salary as a part time legislature was between 50 and 60 thousand dollars the average household income for families that work fulltime.

Davis said that Hubbard abandoned the people of his district to carry a project to the wiregrass because they were paying him $12,500 dollars per month.

I have a lot more but I will leave you with this thought, when Harry Truman went back home to his farm after his time in office, he was bombarded with offers from companies, but Truman said the office of President is not for sale. Thank you.

Closings are done. Jury is out Lawyers are conferring with the judge…

 

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