Opinion ID: 151087
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: First and Second Trials

Text: During the first trial, Hall put on an alibi defense, to wit: that at the time of the crimes, he was at home on the phone with several friends. As to his confession, Hall testified that he told the police officers what they wanted to hear because he was scared. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the robbery and kidnaping charges. After the first trial, Hall's counsel withdrew for health reasons and was replaced by counsel Valerie Smedley. At the second trial, Hall renewed his same motion to suppress which the state trial court again denied. Hall again presented his alibi defense, to wit: that from approximately 3:00 p.m. until after 6:00 p.m. on the day of the crimes, he was at home on the phone with several friends. For the first time in rebuttal, the State called Terry Spidle, [8] a records custodian for BellSouth, Hall's telephone provider. Spidle testified that for telephone subscriptions such as Hall's, BellSouth kept records of outgoing local calls for eighteen months. [9] Spidle testified that, according to BellSouth's records, neither Hall nor his friends (whom Hall claimed were on the phone) placed any outgoing telephone calls from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on October 15, 1999. [10] The jury again was unable to reach a verdict.