Often called the roadmap, the opening statements occur at the beginning of the trial and are limited to outlining the facts of the case. Attorneys for each party can set the scene for jurors, introduce them to core disputes and explain how the trial is expected to unfold
Prosecutor Brianna Coakley says Tim Ferriter’s actions of locking his adoptive son in solitary confinement were ongoing, intentional and criminal. More
October 3, 2023
Prosecutor Meghan Hagaman said that Logan Clegg murdered Steven and Wendy Reid on a popular hiking trail before lying to police. More
October 3, 2023
Brianna Coakley delivers the opening statements in the trial of Timothy Ferriter, the man accused of locking his adopted son in a box in his... More
October 3, 2023
Rita Pangalangan and Larry King Jr. are accused of killing Pangalangan's teenage daughter, Cristina, by leaving her in a hot car. More
August 29, 2023
The prosecution and defense deliver opening statements in Mississippi v. Gregory Case and Brandon Case: FedEx Driver Shooting Trial. More
August 17, 2023
Defense attorney Jamie Jackson says Michael Turney did not kill his stepdaughter and that he was active in her search when she went missing. More
July 6, 2023
Vince Imbordino says Michael Turney murdered his stepdaughter Alissa after unexpectedly taking her out of school the last day she was seen. More
July 6, 2023
The prosecutor says Bill Zelenski killed his girlfriend’s son, over allegedly stolen guns and reptiles. The defense says it was an accident. More
June 19, 2023
Lawrence Lewis calls the case “weird” and explains that Tori Lang’s death was a suicide, not murder. More
April 25, 2023
Assistant D.A. Norris Lewis says Austin Ford killed his best friend, 18-year-old Tori Lang, with a single gunshot wound to the head. More
April 25, 2023
Court TV's Chanley Painter, who has a coveted spot inside the courtroom for ID v. Lori Vallow Daybell, gives a play-by-play of opening statements. More
April 10, 2023
Letecia Stauch is accused of murdering her stepson, Gannon Stauch, in January 2020. She has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. More
April 3, 2023
Prosecutor Caitlin Flynn said the jury would be shown videos showing Zachary Latham violently attacking the Durham family More
March 31, 2023
Prosecutor Eric Smith says Jacqueline and Trezell killed their adopted sons Orrin and Orson West before reporting them missing Dec. 21, 2020. More
March 29, 2023
Alex Murdaugh began crying as his defense attorney described the shotgun blast that killed his son, Paul Murdaugh. More
January 26, 2023
Maria Catabay is accused in the double murder of a prominent Florida doctor and his son. More
November 29, 2022
Derris Lewis accused of murdering his identical twin brother in January 2008. More
November 29, 2022
Christopher Sutton is accused of hiring a hitman to kill his adoptive parents. More
November 29, 2022
Matthew Terry faces the death penalty for allegedly killing his girlfriend, Florida math teacher Kay Baker, by nearly decapitating her with a knife. More
November 7, 2022
Defendant Darrell Brooks becomes emotional as he delivers opening statements on his own behalf at his murder trial. More
October 20, 2022
It’s the second such trial for Alex Jones, who was ordered by a Texas jury last month to pay nearly $50 million to the parents... More
September 13, 2022
Danielle Redlick is accused of fatally stabbing her husband, former NBA executive Michael Redlick. More
June 21, 2022
Celebrity chef Mario Batali is accused of forcibly kissing and groping a woman in March 2017. More
May 11, 2022
Ryan Duke is accused of murdering high school teacher and former pageant contestant Tara Grinstead. More
May 9, 2022
Ronald Samuels is accused in the murder-for-hire plot of his ex-wife, Heather Grossman. More
May 5, 2022
The jury hears opening statements in the penalty phase of GA v. James Sullivan. More
April 28, 2022
Insurance executive Jeffrey Krotine is accused of beating and shooting his wife before stuffing her body in the trunk of her car in 2003. More
April 14, 2022
Michael Mosley is accused of murdering two men and injuring two others outside a Nashville bar on Dec. 21, 2019. More
April 11, 2022
The jury hears opening statements in the penalty phase of the trial. More
April 7, 2022
Billy Ray Turner is one of two accused killers in the murder of NBA star Lorenzen Wright. More
March 25, 2022
