The U-M Innocence Clinic

continued

Like Breen, the defense believes that Gholston is being pressured—but they think the pressure is coming from his family not to recant, to the point of being virtually held hostage. Moran says his parents have not allowed him to take phone calls and won’t let the U-M team inside the house.

“In all my years as a lawyer I’ve never had a witness who’s been so hard to talk to,” Moran says. “His parents have kept him locked away.”

Contrary to usual legal practices, Breen never told the defense what witnesses she was calling or what they would testify to. Not only are the students getting a lesson in courtroom surprises, they are operating in uncharted territory.

“It would be like having medical students perform open-heart surgery,” says Moran.

Levine, Cronin, and Georgieva came prepared to make their closing arguments today. Instead, they’re now scrambling to find rebuttal witnesses.