Opinion ID: 1521791
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: the prosecutor's opening argument to the jury

Text: In his opening argument, the prosecutor relied several times upon the written statement. He told the jury that Antone Ruffin, you'll hear, had some animosity toward Clifford Wilson, anyway runs off in pursuit of Clifford Wilson, and [the bass player], his friend, follows. (Emphasis added.) The prosecutor, reciting facts and language drawn directly from the written statement, continued: Antone Ruffin charged up those stairs, according to his own statement, and ... Clifford Wilson tried to push him back, he charged up the stairs. Antone Ruffin, who is highly trained in karate, has boxed ... put him down on the floor with two kicks, left-right combination, put him down on his back, and then proceeded to stomp his face, and his head, and his body. And he kept doing it until finally [the bass player] heard what was going on and came up the stairs and pulled him off. [Emphasis added.] Later in his opening argument, the prosecutor reminded the jury that in the homicide office Ruffin made a statement to the police, [in] which he described what had happened. And [in] which he says he told the police that basically what I have just told you. He said that he had  he didn't like Clifford Wilson. Clifford Wilson had had some dealings with his family before and he didn't like him. Clifford Wilson had it coming to him and he wasn't sorry. And he said Wilson good and he stomped him. And you'll hear testimony about the descriptions that he gave about his stomping Clifford Wilson into unconsciousness and doing a job on Clifford Wilson, the barefoot man who was running up the stairs away from him. [Emphasis added.]