2.Final Instructions Confirmed with Counsel
16 linesTHE COURT: At this time the Court calls State of Wisconsin vs. Steven Avery, Case No. 05 CF 381. We're here today for a continuation of the trial, specifically, final instructions and closing arguments. Will the parties state their appearances for the record, please.
MR. KRATZ: Good morning, Judge. The State of Wisconsin appears by Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz. Also Tom Fallon and Norm Gahn, all appearing as Special Prosecutors.
MR. STRANG: Steven Avery appears in person, Jerome Buting and Dean Strang on his behalf.
THE COURT: Before we bring in the jury, after the formal instruction conference yesterday afternoon I prepared a proposed final set of jury instructions. I also provided a copy of the final draft to each of the attorney's before we left yesterday. Mr. Kratz, are the instructions as proposed acceptable to the State?
MR. KRATZ: They are, Judge.
THE COURT: And, Mr. Strang, subject to the requested instructions of the defense the Court did not give, do they, the instructions as submitted, reflect your understanding?
MR. STRANG: The instructions, as tendered to us this morning, do reflect our understanding of the resolution, the jury instruction conference, and what we understood the Court would say to the jurors.
THE COURT: Very well. Does either party have anything else before we bring the jury out?
MR. KRATZ: Not the State, your Honor.
MR. STRANG: (Shakes head negatively.)
THE COURT: All right. We'll bring in the jurors at this time.
(Jury present.)
THE COURT: You may be seated. Members of the jury, at this time the Court is going to read the final instructions to you. We'll then proceed to closing arguments of the parties.
Mr. Ward, I'm going to ask you if you can take these instructions and provide one set to each member of the jury.
MR. STRANG: Your Honor, maybe we can have just a very brief side bar.
THE COURT: Okay.
(Side bar taken.)