Closing Arguments in the Addison Trial

In her final argument, Attorney General Kelly Ayotte told the jury that Addison does not deserve mercy.

He deserves death.

Although Addison’s defense team focused on his troubled childhood, Ayotte said it is no excuse for the decade of crimes he has committed

He started when he was 16 years old and ended when he was 26, with the killing of Michael Briggs.

At the time of the Briggs murder, Addison was on the run after participating in two armed robberies and a shooting, she said.

AYOTTE: When he did this, his mother wasn't around. His father wasn't there when he committed these crimes. He was miles and miles away from the gang- infested streets of Orchard Park, but he decided not to leave that life style behind, even though you have heard the numbers of opportunities, and the ample opporuntiy he had to leave to leave that lifestyle behind. Instead he chose to bring his violence here to NH, to our state.

Ayotte said that Addison's crimes in the week before the Briggs shooting have already earned him the equivalent of a life sentence.

So to impose a life sentence for the Briggs’ murder would be to trivialize the police officer’s life.

Ayotte reminded the jurors of their
unanimous decision in finding Addison guilty of capital murder and eligible for the death penalty.

AYOTTE: You all represent the collective judgment of our community, the collective judgment of our state about this crime. We have proven that the aggravating evidence far outweighs the mitigating evidence. We have proven that to you. We ask you in this case, we ask you to be unanimous in your verdict, to be unanimous for the sake of the sacrifice made by Officer Briggs and his family, for the sake of competence in the criminal justice system, and most importantly for the sake of justice itself. There is only one verdict that satisfies these principles. Let your verdict speak with one voice. The state of NH asks you to render a unanimous verdict sentencing the defendant, Michael Addison, to death. (1:30)

As he has throughout the trial, Defense attorney Richard Guerriero tried to soften the image of Addison.

He said decent people, referring to Addison’s relatives, still love him.

He reminded jurors of Addison's goals earlier in life -- to get married and open a small store.

GUERRIERO: He is not some unrecognizable creature. He's not some monster that is without any human connection to anybody else. He's the angry impulsive child of an angry impulsive, drunk, drug-abusing mother. it's easy to trace that history. He's not a monster who tortures people simply for the purpose of causing them pain. He doesn't victimize children. He's not -- contrary to what the state says -- cold and calculating. Everything in his life, all of his crimes, are punctuated by these impulsive, violent acts. The same person who did those acts when he was four years old is same person who did those acts when he is older.

Guerriero said Addison deserves to be in prison for his entire life.

But that jurors must consider the damage done to him as a child if they are to pass judgment.

And he appealed to each juror's conscience in asking them to spare his life.

GUERRIERO: The death penalty is for the most extreme cases. It's not for a case where a single shot was fired while escaping. It's not the appropriate punishment for someone who's not going to be a danger in prison. It's not the right punishment for the child of a teen-age mother who was drunk and who suffered the effects of that -- whether from fetal alcohol syndrome or her genetics or how she actually treated him, whether it's biological, environment, genetic, or whatever, this is not the person the death penalty is for.

After closing arguments, Judge Kathleen McGuire instructed the jurors on the process for considering aggravating and mitigating factors.

McGuire told the jurors they are never required to impose death.

And she said they must not consider race, color, religious beliefs, or national origin of either the defendant or victim in considering whether the death sentence is appropriate.

Deliberation continues today.

For NHPR News, I'm Ellen Grimm.