What Skye doesn't realize (and perhaps the family doesn't either) is that no one can control what a jury decides to do or even if they can make a unanimous determination. The best closing in the world doesn't guarantee anything, nor does a mediocre or sub-par closing. Closing arguments are not testimony, so if the jury does their job, they will need to follow the rules and instructions given them by the judge.
Obtaining a DP sentence is not easy, is not a slam dunk, and 12 reasonable people could come to a different conclusion than what everyone else wants. That's why I've always said that getting the guilty verdict for 1st degree murder was the most important piece to all of this. That piece alone was "justice served" because it ensures the killer will be kept away from free society. Anything beyond that is "icing on the cake."
If a DP is reached by the jury, people will say Juan's closing was great!
If a DP is not reached by the jury, people might say Juan's closing was bad.
It's all about feelings of the person doing the critique, based on what they want.
Juan's closing reminded the jurors of the basic issues before them, but ultimately it's not up to Juan to decide.
I hope the family is fully prepared for any outcome, as trying to predict a jury is like trying to determine the future by looking at cloud formations.
