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Jury requests transcripts in teen's murder trial
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (CNN) -- The jury deciding the fate of a teenage boy accused of killing his middle school English teacher wrapped its first full day of deliberations Tuesday, after opening the day by asking for lengthy amounts of additional information. "A rather long laundry list for us to address," said Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge Richard Wennet. The jurors requested the transcripts of testimony from four witnesses including defendant, Nathaniel Brazill, 14.
They also wanted to watch the video from a security camera that showed the sequence of events immediately leading up to the shooting of Lake Worth Community Middle School teacher Barry Grunow, and Brazill's flight following the discharge of the weapon. In addition, the jury asked for the definition of burglary which falls into their deliberations on the charge of felony murder. The request could add a number of days to deliberations in the murder case. "It's got to be read to you in open court. I just can't give you the transcripts," said Wennet. "By the way, that'll take about a day and a half to read that back to you." The jurors received the case Monday shortly after the state prosecutor in a dramatic closing clutched the weapon used to kill teacher Barry Grunow, pulled its trigger and told jurors that Nathaniel Brazill "knew what he was doing" when he shot the teacher in the head. Assistant State Attorney Marc Shiner said a "storm was brewing" inside Brazill when he took the gun to Lake Worth Community Middle School on May 26 last year. "This is first-degree murder anyway you look at it," he said. Jurors deliberated for more than three hours Monday evening. Brazill was 13 at the time of the shooting. His lawyers maintain the shooting was accidental
"It is not premeditated murder. It's not even close," said defense attorney Robert Udell during his closing argument. Premeditation is required for a first-degree conviction. Udell suggested in his closing argument that the jury consider a manslaughter conviction. Shiner has pushed for the defendant to be found guilty of first-degree murder. While Brazill has been charged with first-degree murder, the jury can find him guilty of lesser charges including second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. |
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