Opening Statement Sample

Timothy Coggins July 31, 2012
Opening Statement May it please the court (look at judge), Opposing counsel (look at opposing counsel). My name is Timothy Coggins and my co-counsel is Ms. Bernadette Benjamin, Ms. Nicolette
Versailles, Ms Keisha Jean-Charles and Mr. Peter Domingue. We are the prosecution, and we represent people of the state of New York. There are several people whose names you will hear throughout the trial. There is the victim Payton Miller. The victim's roommate Sydney Samuels. The defendants friend Tracy
Mitchel. Finally there is the defendant Jordan Stone who had assaulted and robbed the victim without reason to do so. There is no question that Miller was assaulted at his apartment on December 10th at
12:10 pm. Jordan Stone, the defendant had committed 2nd degree assault, 2nd degree burglary, and 1st degree attempted robbery. The evidence will prove that Jordan was the assailant and robber of Payton Miller's apartment. The evidence you will hear during this trial will prove that on the morning of December 10th 2010, Payton Miller was assaulted and robbed by the defendant. Payton woke up at about
8:30 that morning and had called in sick to work because he was not feeling well and went back to bed. He then woke up to a crash. He looked up and saw an intruder in his bedroom. At this point Payton saw the defendant's face. Payton yelled and tried to get out of bed, but the defendant lunged at him, telling him he screamed again she would kill him. That was when she started to strangle the victim. Payton started to dig his nails into her hand. He then passed out.
At the scene the evidence found was the key and the Knicks key ring. You will hear that the door shows no forced entry. This means that the defendant had access to the apartment and Sydney had given Jordan a key to her house when they were friends. When Jordan's house was searched the clothing described was found in her house as described as the Knicks jacket and blue jeans .
Also Payton had picked out Stone in a lineup of suspects. Your Honor, the evidence will prove that on December 10th 2010, the defendant Jordan
Stone committed the crimes 2nd degree assault, 2nd degree burglary, and 1st degree attempted robbery. The evidence will show the defendant had broken into Payton Miller's home, searched for something and strangled him until he passed out. The defendant then left the key and key ring at the crime scene. The defendant was then found in possession of the same exact clothing as Miller described. We submit that the evidence will clearly show that the assailant and the robber of the victim and is guilty of these crimes beyond reasonable doubt. At the conclusion of this trial we will ask Your Honor to find Jordan Stone guilty of the crimes of 2nd degree assault, 2nd degree burglary, and 1st degree attempted robbery.