Attorney Edd K. Roberts III was featured in the News & Observer regarding a murder case of a young child. Mr. Roberts represented James Fidel Jennings, the boyfriend of the child’s mother. The trial lasted three weeks and hinged upon whether Jennings killed the child in frustration, or whether the child choked on his own vomit. Mr. Roberts made the case that the child choked on milk and soft-solid food, which was recently introduced into the child’s diet. Mr. Roberts through the state’s own expert witnesses showed that the child had a documented history of choking on milk and soft-solid food through medical records detailing that as the chief complaint in prior visits to the Emergency Department.
Mr. Roberts told the jurors in closing argument, “It’s a tragedy, no question, and it leaves a hole… (But) don’t let emotion that the loss of a young child causes spill into the process, decide the case on the facts.” The defense put on and the arguments made by Mr. Roberts got traction. The jury decided that the State did not make their case that murder was the cause of the child’s death and Mr. Jennings was cleared by the jury of all of the charges.
To read the full article for this case, go to:
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article239568658.html