Closing Arguments Begin In Rape Trial Of Former OKC Officer

Prosecutors showed the jury dates of the offenses and how Holtzclaw interacted with each alleged victim. They said Holtzclaw gets bolder with each alleged offense. He started with targeting women with records and asking them to expose themselves.

State prosecutors said Holtzclaw progressed to taking some of the victims to other locations to rape them. They then asked the jury, “Who will believe these women? Who will care?”

The State said all the accusers share similar stories, and their stories are corroborated with physical records, such as phone records, Facebook messages. They said to believe that Daniel Holtzclaw is innocent is to believe that the victims plotted to ruin him, and the physical evidence just happens to match.

The State said Daniel Holtzclaw used his badge to victimize the accusers.

Holtzclaw's defense team began presenting closing arguments during the afternoon portion of the trial. Holtzclaw's attorney Scott Adams thanked the jurors for their service during the length of the trial. 

Adams said this is a trial everyone involved will remember for the rest of their lives. He took the jury back to the date of June 18, 2014, the day sex crimes detectives came down to Springlake division to interview Holtzclaw. He said Holtzclaw was told by the captain that detectives were there to ask about one of his stops. Adams said Holtzclaw acknowledged making it. 

Adams said even though the alleged victim from that traffic stop told family about that incident and went to the Springlake division, no one ever called 911. He asked if anyone in their right mind would leave a loved one who claimed to have been sexually assaulted, and that the victim's boyfriend did.

Adams called into questions some of that victim's testimony, claiming there were no fingerprints/DNA found on Holtzclaw's squad car to match her story. He claims Oklahoma City detectives did a retroactive investigation on Holtzclaw, not proactive.

Adams claims detectives created a profile of black women with prior drug and criminal offenses before they had even identified other accusers. 

Adams went on to say he could not believe the testimony of the youngest accuser due to discrepancies during cross examination with her and her mother.

Adams said Holtzclaw acted honorably and ethically and was put into a neighborhood that doesn't like police officers. 

The defense's closing arguments lasted more than 2 hours with Adams asking the jury for a swift and quick verdict. The state prosecutors addressed the jury again after Adams finished his closing argument.

12/7/2015 Related Story: Judge To Allow Cameras In Courtroom During Holtzclaw Verdict