{"id":50912,"date":"2016-05-19T00:14:36","date_gmt":"2016-05-19T00:14:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/owegopennysaver.com\/?p=50912"},"modified":"2016-05-19T23:01:50","modified_gmt":"2016-05-19T23:01:50","slug":"deliberations-begin-in-cal-harris-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2016\/05\/19\/deliberations-begin-in-cal-harris-trial\/","title":{"rendered":"Deliberations begin in Cal Harris Trial"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Deliberations<\/a>

Calvin Harris arrives in Schoharie County on Wednesday. Closing arguments took place throughout the day in his fourth second-degree murder trial. (Photo by Wendy Post)<\/p><\/div>\n

On Wednesday, and following seven weeks of testimony in the Calvin Harris second-degree murder trial, the prosecution and defense presented their closing arguments in front of the Honorable Richard Mott \u2013 the judge presiding over this fourth trial in Schoharie County.<\/p>\n

Judge Mott, upon the completion of arguments, took the case and will begin his own deliberations. While Judge Mott did not set a timeline for rendering a verdict, he told the courtroom that he will notify the attorneys when he is ready to deliver it, and they will be allowed a half an hour to get to the courtroom.<\/p>\n

\"Deliberations<\/a>

Defense attorney Bruce Barket delivers closing arguments on Wednesday. Barket presented to the court for two hours and 50 minutes. (Pool Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

As for the closing arguments, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday the defense delivered their arguments for two hours and 50 minutes to the judge, and in front of a packed courtroom.<\/p>\n

With Calvin Harris sitting at the defense table, and his four children and his father sitting in the courtroom, the defense started their arguments by asking the court, \u201cWhat does an innocent person look like that is wrongly accused?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cHe [Calvin Harris] has been wrongly accused and relentlessly pursued,\u201d defense attorney Barket stated as he began to dig further into his arguments.<\/p>\n

Barket told the court that they [investigators] haven\u2019t solved the case because they were looking at the wrong man. This statement touched on their culpability case, in which the defense believes that someone else, namely Stacey Stewart, is responsible for Michele Harris\u2019 disappearance and presumed murder.<\/p>\n

The defense spent a lot of time arguing the photos of bloodstains that the prosecution has based their case on, stating that the exposure of the photos was altered, and that the rug, which had bloodstains and what prosecutors say was a transfer stain, was positioned with the stains down prior to Sept. 11, 2001. The prosecution claims that Calvin Harris flipped the rug over to hide the bloodstains.<\/p>\n

\"Deliberations<\/a>

Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin delivers closing arguments on Wednesday. Martin presented to the court for one hour and 45 minutes. (Pool Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

The defense argued this point further, stating, \u201cAs meticulous as Cal is, why would he flip the rug; it doesn\u2019t make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

The defense also argued the prosecution\u2019s theory that Calvin Harris had the motive to kill his wife. Barket stated that while the couple\u2019s divorce started out bitter, nine months later it was over and Michele had accepted his offer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe very motive they allege is simply insane,\u201d Barket argued.<\/p>\n

The defense argued about threats that Michele\u2019s hairdresser testified to, that Harris would kill his wife. Barket argued that the hairdresser lied, and that testimony they presented proved this.<\/p>\n

The defense also brought up Michele\u2019s behavior at that time, and how, according to the defense, she wasn\u2019t coming home and was parking at the end of the driveway as she was drinking heavily.<\/p>\n

\"Deliberations<\/a>

Calvin Harris arrives in Schoharie County on Wednesday. Closing arguments took place throughout the day in his fourth second-degree murder trial. (Photo by Wendy Post)<\/p><\/div>\n

The phone call made from the Harris residence to Michele\u2019s cell phone on the morning of Sept. 12, 2001 was also argued in closing by the defense. The babysitter, Barbara Thayer, testified that she made the call, but the defense, in their closing, stated, \u201cThayer is a horrible reporter of facts.\u201d<\/p>\n

When this was said by the defense, Barbara Thayer\u2019s husband, who was sitting next to her in the courtroom, made an apparent gesture, and was swiftly told by the judge that there would be no reaction in the courtroom, or they would be asked to leave.<\/p>\n

The defense then continued to focus on Stacey Stewart.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom 2,000 miles away, Stewart solidifies what Tubbs said,\u201d said the defense in regards to Stewart\u2019s statements to Julie Brinkman that he was the last person to be seen with Michele when she was alive. He added, \u201cThe truth is starting to leak out about what happened to Michele.\u201d<\/p>\n

The defense ended their arguments at 1:10 p.m., stating, \u201cCal Harris did not kill Michele,\u201d adding, \u201cThe investigation was mismanaged.\u201d<\/p>\n

At 2:10 p.m. the prosecutor, Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin, began his arguments by stating to the court, \u201cMichele Taylor Harris is dead. There is no dispute. And there is only one person who had a motive to kill her, and that is Cal Harris.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin\u2019s closing arguments, which were one hour and 45 minutes long, focused on Cal Harris\u2019 motive, the testimony surrounding his behavior after Michele\u2019s disappearance, and the blood evidence found in the Harris home on Hagadorn Hill Road in Spencer, N.Y.<\/p>\n

Martin described Harris as a jealous and controlling husband that told others he would kill Michele and make her disappear.<\/p>\n

He told the court, \u201cThe people have proven beyond a doubt of reason that Cal Harris killed Michele.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin argued that Michele was killed in an act of domestic violence, and he called the defense theory that someone else was responsible a \u201cfantasy\u201d.<\/p>\n

Martin argued that investigators interviewed Stacey Stewart following Michele\u2019s disappearance, and that he was cooperative with investigators.<\/p>\n

He added that Kevin Tubbs prompted the entire third party culpability theory, and they don\u2019t believe that Tubbs is a credible witness.<\/p>\n

The prosecutor outlined, in his arguments, that Harris didn\u2019t want the pending divorce from Michele, that he threatened to kill her, that Michele took the guns out of the home for a reason, and that an upcoming trial date gave Harris the motive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhose benefit was Michele\u2019s murder,\u201d Martin asked the court. \u201cHe was losing control.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin stated to the court, during his arguments, \u201cHe found a good spot, a spot he knew would make her disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin talked in length about the bloodstains found in the Harris residence, and defined the scene as a bloodletting event that took place in the home.<\/p>\n

The prosecution theorized that Michele came through the door of her home on the evening of Sept. 11, 2001 and was violently attacked in the alcove, and then moved to the garage. Martin argued that whatever was used to hit Michele left the transfer stain on the rug in the alcove.<\/p>\n

He further argued that the evidence of clean up in the garage area is \u201coverwhelming\u201d, and that the DNA profiles match that of Michele in most areas.<\/p>\n

As Martin neared the end of his arguments, he stated, \u201cThe evidence in the case leads to one person only. There is no mystery here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, the judge will now decide the case. If found guilty, Calvin Harris will be facing 25 years to life for second-degree murder.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Wednesday, and following seven weeks of testimony in the Calvin Harris second-degree murder trial, the prosecution and defense presented their closing arguments in front…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":50913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-harristrial","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nDeliberations begin in Cal Harris Trial - Owego Pennysaver Press<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2016\/05\/19\/deliberations-begin-in-cal-harris-trial\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Deliberations begin in Cal Harris Trial - Owego Pennysaver Press\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On Wednesday, and following seven weeks of testimony in the Calvin Harris second-degree murder trial, the prosecution and defense presented their closing arguments in front...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2016\/05\/19\/deliberations-begin-in-cal-harris-trial\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Owego Pennysaver Press\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/The-Owego-Pennysaver-49179420591\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-05-19T00:14:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-05-19T23:01:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.greenstreetdata.com\/PS\/owego\/files\/2016\/05\/Harris4DR6.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"4608\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"3456\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"opennysaver\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"opennysaver\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2016\/05\/19\/deliberations-begin-in-cal-harris-trial\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2016\/05\/19\/deliberations-begin-in-cal-harris-trial\/\",\"name\":\"Deliberations begin in Cal Harris Trial - Owego Pennysaver Press\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2016\/05\/19\/deliberations-begin-in-cal-harris-trial\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2016\/05\/19\/deliberations-begin-in-cal-harris-trial\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.greenstreetdata.com\/PS\/owego\/files\/2016\/05\/Harris4DR6.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-05-19T00:14:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-05-19T23:01:50+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/#\/schema\/person\/e90b97e3c9fe75a643c31b3439ed7b15\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2016\/05\/19\/deliberations-begin-in-cal-harris-trial\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2016\/05\/19\/deliberations-begin-in-cal-harris-trial\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2016\/05\/19\/deliberations-begin-in-cal-harris-trial\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.greenstreetdata.com\/PS\/owego\/files\/2016\/05\/Harris4DR6.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.greenstreetdata.com\/PS\/owego\/files\/2016\/05\/Harris4DR6.jpg\",\"width\":4608,\"height\":3456,\"caption\":\"Calvin Harris arrives in Schoharie County on Wednesday. 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