{"id":51029,"date":"2016-05-24T23:38:21","date_gmt":"2016-05-24T23:38:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/owegopennysaver.com\/?p=51029"},"modified":"2016-05-28T00:51:06","modified_gmt":"2016-05-28T00:51:06","slug":"not-guilty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2016\/05\/24\/not-guilty\/","title":{"rendered":"Not Guilty!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Judge<\/a>

Calvin Harris addresses the media following the rendering of a not-guilty verdict by Judge Richard Mott in his second-degree murder trial on Tuesday. (Photos by Wendy Post)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Judge<\/a>

Calvin Harris, who is surrounded by his defense team, becomes emotional while addressing the media following the rendering of a not-guilty verdict by Judge Richard Mott in his second-degree murder trial on Tuesday.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Judge<\/a>

Calvin Harris, center, departs the courthouse on Tuesday in Schoharie with his attorneys and his children. Harris addressed the media following the rendering of a not-guilty verdict by Judge Richard Mott in his second-degree murder trial.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Judge<\/a>

Calvin Harris\u2019 daughter, Jenna Harris, listens to her father as he addresses the media following the rendering of a not-guilty verdict by Judge Richard Mott in his second-degree murder trial on Tuesday.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Judge<\/a>

Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin addresses the media following the rendering of a not-guilty verdict by Judge Richard Mott in Calvin Harris\u2019 second-degree murder trial on Tuesday.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Judge<\/a>

Cameras were waiting for Calvin Harris and his attorneys to exit the Schoharie County Courthouse on Tuesday, and following the rendering of a not-guilty verdict by Judge Richard Mott in Calvin Harris\u2019 second-degree murder trial.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Judge<\/a>

From the left, Investigators Terry Shultz and Steven Anderson, key witnesses for the prosecution in the Calvin Harris trial, watch from afar as Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin addresses the media on Tuesday, and following the rendering of a not-guilty verdict by Judge Richard Mott in Calvin Harris\u2019 second-degree murder trial.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Judge<\/a>

Calvin Harris\u2019 two sons, Taylor and Tanner, become emotional during the media address that followed the rendering of a not-guilty verdict by Judge Richard Mott in Calvin Harris\u2019 second-degree murder trial on Tuesday.<\/p><\/div>\n

Following seven weeks of testimony and 13 hours of deliberations in the fourth second-degree murder trial for Tioga County businessman Calvin Harris, the judge presiding over the case, Honorable Richard Mott, rendered a verdict of not-guilty on Tuesday, May 24.<\/p>\n

It was approximately 2:15 p.m. in the courtroom in Schoharie County when Judge Mott entered and rendered his verdict. On the side of the courtroom where Calvin Harris sat with his family behind him, there were tears and many hugs. The defense attorney, Bruce Barket, could be heard saying, \u201cIt\u2019s over.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the not-guilty verdict rendered by Judge Mott, Calvin Harris can\u2019t be tried again under the indictment of second-degree murder, and Tioga County\u2019s district attorney Kirk Martin stated that he will honor that.<\/p>\n

Calvin Harris has been on trial four times for second-degree murder in the disappearance and presumed murder of his wife. Michele Harris disappeared into the night on Sept. 11, 2001, and neither her body nor a weapon has ever been found.<\/p>\n

The first two trials for Harris were held in Tioga County, N.Y., with both ending in a guilty verdict, and both overturned. A motion to change the trial venue was granted and the third trial moved to Schoharie County. That trial was a hung jury, and the fourth trial \u2013 a not-guilty verdict for Calvin Harris.<\/p>\n

The prosecution in the case had maintained that Harris had the motive to kill his wife, and that he did so in the middle of the night and put her body in a place where no one would ever find it.<\/p>\n

The defense continually argued that the investigation was biased, and that they only looked at one person, Calvin Harris. And defense attorney Bruce Barket, following the verdict, stated to the media, \u201cThis case isn\u2019t over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to bring this case forward,\u201d said Barket, adding, \u201cWait until you see what we have for Tioga County.\u201d<\/p>\n

An emotional Harris, who exited the courtroom with his four children, who have remained by his side, also addressed the media following the verdict.<\/p>\n

Harris told the media that he wasn\u2019t going to be celebrating, and that there were no winners in the case against him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was ripped away from my family three times,\u201d said Harris.<\/p>\n

Harris talked about the cost of all the trials to everyone, including the Tioga County taxpayers. And now that it\u2019s over, Harris also stated that there is still no closure; that Michele is still missing.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot until we find Michele,\u201d Harris stated when fielded a question about closure from the media. He added, \u201cNot until we find my children\u2019s mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

He called the investigation on him a \u201chorrible display of abuse and power.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Harris was delivering this statement to the media, an onlooker at the conference shouted from behind, saying, \u201cRight on.\u201d This same heckler made comments to the prosecutor as he walked away, asking him how they [Tioga County] felt about wasting 15 years on trying Calvin Harris when they could have been looking for Michele.<\/p>\n

But the conference was uninterrupted for the most part, with Barket addressing the media about his defense and the outcome.<\/p>\n

Barket said he didn\u2019t think it was close, when media fielded an inquiry as to what he thought the determining factor was for the verdict.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir case was long on sympathy and short on evidence,\u201d said Barket.<\/p>\n

Barket also mentioned Kevin Tubbs, the farmer who came forward stating he saw Michele in the early morning hours of Sept. 12, 2001 with a man he identified later as resembling Stacey Stewart.<\/p>\n

\u201cTubbs is a true, unsung hero here,\u201d said Barket. He also told the media that he thinks the only person upset by the verdict is Stacey Stewart.<\/p>\n

Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin, who also addressed the<\/p>\n

\"Judge<\/a>

Calvin Harris, center, departs the courthouse on Tuesday in Schoharie with his attorneys and his children. Harris addressed the media following the rendering of a not-guilty verdict by Judge Richard Mott in his second-degree murder trial.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Judge<\/a>

Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin addresses the media following the rendering of a not-guilty verdict by Judge Richard Mott in Calvin Harris\u2019 second-degree murder trial on Tuesday.<\/p><\/div>\n

media, offered only a few words, and said they would obey the court\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe we presented all we had to the best of our ability,\u201d said Martin of the case, adding, \u201cWe had evidence, and every step of the way we presented it.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked what he thinks the taxpayers in Tioga County will think, Martin stated, \u201cI have a job to do as district attorney.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin also noted that they do not know the judge\u2019s reasoning behind the verdict, as the judge can speak as little or as much as he wants. When Mott rendered his verdict on Tuesday, he offered his verdict and that was all.<\/p>\n

Martin would not offer a statement regarding any leads that might be pursued by investigators in the future. He only noted, \u201cMichele is still a missing person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several of Michele\u2019s family members and friends were in the courthouse when the verdict was rendered, but did not offer any comment. Many of those who testified for the prosecution, like Barbara Thayer, were not in the courthouse when the verdict was rendered.<\/p>\n

Outside of the courthouse, Kevin Marks, a Schoharie resident that followed both the third and fourth trial, reacted to the verdict.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoesn\u2019t surprise me,\u201d said Marks of the verdict. \u201cProving it would have been tough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also following the trial was Carolyn Wilston from Mainesburg, Pa. Wilston followed the third and fourth trial, often traveling to Schoharie to sit in proceedings.<\/p>\n

Wilston stated that the not-guilty verdict was the only choice the judge could make.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the evidence brought into the trial, it would have to be not-guilty,\u201d said Wilston, adding, \u201cI\u2019m glad the kids have their dad back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Calvin Harris and his children, who were emotional during the media address following the verdict, will be relaxing at home and will then take that family vacation they have wanted to take.<\/p>\n

WIth Michele Harris gone for 15 years, and four trials for Calvin Harris behind him, the family can now spend time without a second-degree murder charge looming. Will there be closure? As it has been said, not until Michele Harris is found.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Following seven weeks of testimony and 13 hours of deliberations in the fourth second-degree murder trial for Tioga County businessman Calvin Harris, the judge presiding…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":51030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-harristrial","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nNot Guilty! - 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\/24\/not-guilty\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Not Guilty! - Owego Pennysaver Press\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Following seven weeks of testimony and 13 hours of deliberations in the fourth second-degree murder trial for Tioga County businessman Calvin Harris, the judge presiding...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2016\/05\/24\/not-guilty\/\" \/>\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=\"2016-05-24T23:38:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-05-28T00:51:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.greenstreetdata.com\/PS\/owego\/files\/2016\/05\/Cal-Close-Up.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=\"7 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\/24\/not-guilty\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2016\/05\/24\/not-guilty\/\",\"name\":\"Not Guilty! 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