Chapter 14 - Julian’s defense
Julian’s criminal lawyers attacked everything.
The recorder:
Unreliable timestamps.
Potential handling by child.
Static.
Gaps.
No chain before police recovery?
Leo possessed it; police seized directly. Good.
Authentication still litigated.
Court admitted several files after forensic foundation and voice testimony.
Not every fragment.
Then Clara.
Accomplice seeking reduced sentence.
Biased.
Defense emphasized:
She lied for five years.
True.
Then corporate conduct.
Aggressive acquisitions are not kidnapping.
North Meridian deal not illegal.
Board had real concerns about me.
Also true.
Defense strategy:
Separate crimes.
Admit maybe Clara kidnapped Leo.
Deny Julian orchestrated original abduction.
Claim he learned later and helped conceal under threat/poor judgment? That conflicted with recordings.
Then gun.
Julian admitted possession.
Claimed he drew because Arthur was violent with sledgehammer? No. He pointed gun. Shot when Arthur moved. Hard.
Ballistics.
Doorframe.
Suppressor.
Unlicensed suppressor? Depending law, federal issue. Keep weapons charges separate.
Then one earlier audio:
Clara:
“You promised after the first week.”
Julian:
“I promised nothing. You created the problem when you panicked.”
Defense argued that showed Clara initiated kidnapping.
Prosecution argued Julian continued conspiracy.
Original mastermind uncertain.
That would matter to verdict.
Then another:
Clara:
“You told me take him.”
Julian:
“I told you scare Arthur, not lose your nerve.”
Ambiguous.
Did Julian instruct taking Leo?
Likely.
May you like
But exact original plan unclear.
The jury would not need every detail for later conspiracy.
