Another defense claim must have pained John Brown upon his cot.

The judge went over the defense claims and the facts established by the government.

Lawrence Walsh, the court-appointed independent counsel, anticipated that as a defense claim.

As for the 'overclassification' defense, the government argued that such a defense claim would be 'confusing to the jury' and thus irrelevant to the charges.

The presiding judge, Garnett Burkes, denied defense claims of double jeopardy.

The defense claims, he said "do not raise matters that would cause a reasonable person to question my impartiality."

It rejected a defense claim that the Marcoses retained "head-of-state immunity."

Why did the trial judge not automatically disqualify a juror who seemed hostile to a key defense claim?

Four jurors said afterward that they did not accept the defense claim of self-defense and were not sure about its assertions of sexual abuse.

But even while describing the defense claim, Justice Colabella said he was not persuaded by the excuse.