All of Judge Stephens' statement:
The courts assessment of the evidence in the case is actually pretty simple. Its a domestic violence homicide case. If you believe the state's evidence in this case, and apparently the jury did, the fingerprints of domestic violence are all over this case. They create a very unmistakable and all too predictable pattern of conduct. From the evidence, it would appear that they showed, the evidence appeared to the court, showed a relationship that escalated from disagreements to irreconcilable differences in which the defendant had pretty much declared that he was done with the marriage. They show a relationship that had moved from being unpleasant to volatile and that was the description of all their friends. It appeared to be a relationship in which some traumatic event was, not only predictable, but almost inevitable. And reviewing the evidence the other night, I was thinking about it and it appeared to me that if on Nov. 2 of 2006, Michelle Young had called the police and reported that her husband had beaten her, and the police had responded and found her with missing teeth, a broken nose and blackened eyes, no one that this couple knew, including their closest, closest friends, would have been surprised. They would not, in my opinion, have been a bit surprised. So why would anyone be surprised when Michelle Young was found beaten to death? The pattern is the same. The case is similar to every other case of domestic violence that has been played out in this courtroom in years past. The assailant that actually killed Michelle Young inflicted a beating on her. This woman wasnt just murdered; she suffered a beating the likes of which we seldom see. This woman was punished. The assailant struck her over 30 times with a weapon of some sort. She was undoubtedly unconscious after the second or third blow. But it would appear that the evidence suggests that the assailant continued to beat her until he was exhausted. Only then did he stop beating her because he didnt have the strength to strike her anymore. The way the court views the evidence. The evidence suggests that the assailant was overcome completely by anger and rage. And even then, apparently, he had the energy to strip her of her engagement and wedding rings perhaps because, in his mind, she was unworthy to wear them. Its certainly noteworthy in the evidence, that the defendant had previously committed an act of violence on a former fiancé and had stripped her of her engagement ring, violently; when she had challenged him or somehow proven herself unworthy to wear them. So I would say, the evidence in this case suggests that Mr. Young has a significant mental health issue, he has significant anger management issues, and significant issues involving women. And all of this evidence is clear and consistent and unmistakable and a pattern of domestic violence. He had not only the motive and opportunity to commit this crime but the circumstances at the crime scene point directly to him. I have no quarrel with this jury verdict and therefore all the credible evidence supporting the jury verdict, the motion to set aside the jury verdict is denied.