DURHAM, N.C. — In five weeks, jurors in the Mike Peterson case have seen dozens of pieces of evidence. The prosecution is methodically laying out its case, but are jurors absorbing it all and are they making sense of it?
"It's almost like a riddle. You get one piece of information, then you get another piece of information and you wonder how does it tie together," defense attorney Butch Williams said.
Williams said the picture will become clearer in closing arguments.
"The clarity will come in summation when they tell you what each piece means," he said.
Closing arguments, though, are nowhere in sight. The trial is expected to last through September. Because the trial will take months, the judge is allowing the jurors to take notes. Even so, Williams admits keeping the story straight can be a daunting task.
"This is the type of case where they're bombarded with volumes of information for long periods of time," Williams said.
Plus, a scheduling conflict with a witness means jurors are off on an extended break. Williams said the break may actually re-energize the jury and the lawyers.
"You've got a jury that's pretty attentive as well as educated, so I don't think it'll be a problem down the stretch," he said.
The trial will resume next Wednesday morning when jurors are expected to hear testimony from a blood spatter expert.
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