Adam Armstrong Opening Statement

I am Lauriel James, and I am here today to prosecute Adam Armstrong for the death of his brother William Armstrong also known by his nickname Doodle. I want to thank the judge and the jury today for their time and attention to this tragic case.

In my opening statement I clarified that this is a case of involuntary manslaughter, and I know that the evidence presented in this court throughout this trial has proved that. As we all know on August 29th, 1918 the defendant and his brother William Armstrong affectionately known as Doodle were headed to Horsehead landing so that the defendant could give Doodle a swimming lesson. However, the swimming lesson failed because Doodle wasn´t physically capable so instead they rowed boats.

We know from the witness testimonies that the defendant was told to be careful with his brother, but he didn't listen. We know that Adam Armstrong throughout his life was cruel to Doodle because of his disability, something he couldn't control about himself. In the entirety of this trial we all have been witness to how selfish and lacking in empathy the defendant is. He never cared about Doodles; all he cared about was the opinions of others. He never once stopped to think about how Doodle´s disability affected Doodle; he only ever thought about how it affected him. I believe the defendant's absence of sympathy for other people and unwillingness to understand and empathize with people who are different from him led to him unconsciously setting up the circumstances for his brother to be killed. I believe that this makes him a danger to others. So, jury as you make your decision on whether or not the defendant is guilty I ask that you all seriously analyze the behaviors of Adam Armstrong and realize that they are not normal and that he needs serious help. Thank