FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — The trial of Julius Freeman continued with several witnesses— but notably only one opening argument.
Freeman is charged in connection with an October 2021 homicide with codefendant Eric Perry.
In Wednesday’s court proceedings, the state gave opening arguments and presented witnesses, but the defense was noticeably quiet.
“I will be reserving my opening statements,” defense attorney Jeffrey Jensen said.
Reserving an opening statement means the defense chose to give their statement after the state presents their entire case, instead of at the beginning of trial.
According to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, reserving opening statements is rare in “Some behavioral scientists have reached the conclusion that up to ‘80 to 90 percent of all jurors come to a decision during or immediately after the opening statements.’”
In its opening statement, the state argued that Freeman and Perry shot and killed Benzel Rose in October 2021 after attempting to rob him.
“What I’m going to be asking you to do, after hearing all of this evidence, is that you find the defendant, Julius Freeman, guilty of first-degree intentional homicide as party to a crime,” Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney instructed the jury.
The state called several witnesses who knew Rose, Freeman, and Perry, and testified that Rose had posted a video to social media of him showing several hundred-dollar bills.
One witness said he had given Rose several hundred dollars in exchange for marijuana prior to the shooting.
Another witness testified that he told Rose not to post with the money.
"He posted something on his Snapchat and I was like 'why are you posting that stuff?'" the witness said.
Brianne Hebert, Rose’s romantic partner at the time, testified that Rose was in her house at the time of the robbery and shooting and her children were upstairs.
She said she found Rose after he had been shot and said she saw two people fleeing the home, but did not see their faces.
The state also called police officers who responded to the scene, and a doctor who examined the victim.
Witness testimony will continue on the next day of trial.
