Who are Nicolae Miu's defense attorneys in Apple River stabbing trial?
HUDSON, Wis. — The trial for Nicolae Miu, the man accused of killing a teen and stabbing four others on the Apple River in July 2022, has begun in Wisconsin.
Miu, 54, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in Isaac Schuman's death and attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the stabbings of Ryhley Mattison, A.J. Martin, Dante Carlson and Tony Carlson. He pleaded not guilty to all charges in September 2022.
Miu is being represented in the case by attorneys Corey Chirafisi and Aaron Nelson. Thus far in the trial, they've contended Miu was acting in self-defense. The prosecution aims to prove Miu was the aggressor.
WCCO will have live coverage throughout the trial which you can watch via CBS News Minnesota, Pluto TV or the CBS News app on your phone or connected TV.
Corey Chirafisi
Chirafisi has been practicing law in Wisconsin for more than 25 years, starting his career as an assistant district attorney for Kenosha County. He's been named a Super Lawyer every year since 2011, per his firm's website.
Perhaps Chirafisi's most high-profile case was his defense of Kyle Rittenhouse. Rittenhouse shot three people, killing two of them, on Aug. 25, 2020, during a protest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake Jr. The jury acquitted Rittenhouse of all charges after he claimed he shot all three men in self-defense.
Chirafisi's law firm operates out of Madison, Wisconsin.
Aaron Nelson
Nelson earned his law degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1996. He now operates a law office out of Hudson, Wisconsin.
According to his website, Nelson has earned seven Martin Hanson Memorial awards, more than any other lawyer in Wisconsin. The awards are given "for not guilty verdicts in Wisconsin homicide cases," the website said. Nelson, like Chirafisi, has been a Super Lawyer each year since 2011.
Nelson handled the opening statement for the defense in Miu's trial. He repeatedly tried to impart to the jury that Miu stabbed the other tubers in self-defense because he feared for his life. He described Miu as an "intelligent" and "peaceful" man who was standing in the river with "13 drunk, angry strangers" who provoked, surrounded and attacked Miu.
"When people attacked Miu, he responded," Nelson said.