NORRISTOWN, MONTGOMERY COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) – Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane did not take the stand Friday to defend herself against perjury and other charges.
After prosecutors wrapped-up their case Friday morning, the defense took over but didn’t call a single witness to the stand.
As she left court Friday, Kathleen Kane remained confident.
Just minutes earlier, the Scranton native had made her decision not to testify final in the Montgomery County courtroom.
Without the jury in the room, the judge questioned Kane to make sure that was her decision.
Kane replied, “As I sat there and listened to the commonwealth’s case, I don’t believe it is necessary for me to testify.”
Outside of court, Kane’s lawyers offered little explanation of why they called no witnesses at all.
“This is a delicate phase of the case and the record speaks for itself,” Kane’s lead attorney Gerald Shargel said.
Defense attorney David Zellis, a former prosecutor himself, weighed in on the strategy.
“Oftentimes the defense does not call witnesses because the strategy is to put the focus and the spotlight on the commonwealth’s case to show they didn’t make out their case,” Zellis said.
Just before resting, prosecutors called their final witnesses, including reporter Chris Brennan who wouldn’t reveal who gave him secret leaked grand jury documents.
The fiancee of a late NAACP leader also testified saying her boyfriend was devastated after the leaked information was used to publish a cover story about him.
Closing arguments are scheduled to begin at 8:30 AM on Monday morning at the Montgomery County courthouse in Norristown.
It’s expected that the jury will begin its deliberations shortly before noon or sometime on Monday afternoon.
Stay with Eyewitness News for updates as the case goes to the jury next week.
