Defense Presents Case In Gables High Stabbing Trial
MIAMI (CBS4) – The defense attorney in the Coral Gables High School stabbing murder trial was slammed by the judge on Thursday after she grew upset with the way he spoke to a witness.
"Mr. Micheals stop, now!" yelled Judge Dava Tunis, "do you understand what I am saying Sir?"
In a failed attempt to undermine a witness's testimony, Defense Attorney Alex Micheals railed against a Miami-Dade Police detective who was called to the stand.
Mr. Micheals client, 18-year-old Andy Rodriguez is charged with second degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Juan Carlos Rivera, who was stabbed to death at the school in September 2009.
The defense called in a former Palm Beach County medical examiner to the stand to testify on behalf of Rodriguez. The ME testified that wounds found on Rodriquez's neck along with blood splatter found on the wall near the ground of the high school were consistent with his claim that he acted in self defense.
Rodriguez has maintained that Rivera had him in a "choke" hold during the scuffle that led to Rivera's death. In a police interrogation tape heard by jurors earlier this week, Rodriguez stated that Rivera had his arm around his neck and wouldn't let him go.
"We bumped each other. I saw him charging at me," Rodriguez stated. "We began swinging at each other.
An interrogator said, "Was it [the bump] deliberate or an accident?"
Rodriguez said, "Maybe, but the way he was looking at me, it was no accident. It was with a bad face."
In the tape, Rodriguez admitted to stabbing Rivera but said it was after Rivera held him in a choke hold and refused to release him.
Rodriguez said he stabbed Rivera and ran away fearful that Rivera would continue to hurt him.
Wednesday, jurors were also shown school surveillance video of the confrontation between Rodriguez and Rivera, just moments before Rivera was stabbed.
The state maintains Rodriguez killed Rivera in a jealous rage after his former girlfriend, Daimilsis Salgado, befriended him.
Rodriguez faces life in prison if convicted.
