Martens is there to tell his side of the story. So is his daughter, although its doubtful shell choose to take the stand. She lacks the stable, professional background of her father. Either way, their high-powered legal team, led by Walter Holton of Winston-Salem for her and David Freedman of Winston-Salem for him, will get their clients stories across.The states team will, as in all murder cases, have to give voice to the voiceless victim. The states own high-powered legal team, led by Davidson County Assistant District Attorney Greg Brown, will likely rely in large part on photos of the victim from the crime scene, the autopsy report and forensic evidence from that scene. The state may argue that Martens and his daughter could have chosen to end the fight theyd already won before landing the fatal blows.
This trial, which begins in earnest with opening statements this week and could take as long as three weeks, will be decided by a bedrock Davidson County jury, in large part by the forensic evidence, or by the testimony of a retired FBI agent, or by some combination of that and other evidence. Those factors will likely play a big role. And so will ones as old as the world, of fathers and children and what theyll do, or be allowed to do, to save their children.
Thomas Martens is a father. And so was Jason Corbett.