PENALTY PHASE. I THINK THIS VERDICT WAS QUITE EXPEDITIOUS. YOU KNOW, I’VE HAD MUCH LESSER CASES OF MUCH LESS GRAVITY. TAKE A COUPLE OF DAYS TO SIFT THROUGH 12 DAYS OF EVIDENCE AND 63 COUNTS AND COME BACK IN PROBABLY LESS THAN A DAY DELIBERATION. IAN, I THINK, SPEAKS TO THE QUALITY AND THE NATURE AND THE PROBATIVE VALUE OF THE CASE THAT THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS PUT ON AGAINST ROBERT BOWERS. AGAIN, IT WAS ABOUT FIVE HOURS OVER THE COURSE OF TWO DAYS THAT THE JURY WAS DELIBERATING THAT BOB DEL GRECO WAS TALKING ABOUT. HE’S A LOCAL ATTORNEY WITH EXPERIENCE, BOTH FROM THE DEFENSE AND PROSECUTION SIDE. HE IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CASE IN ANY WAY. BUT WE REACHED OUT TO HIM TO GET SOME INSIGHT INTO WHAT THE NEXT PHASE LOOKS LIKE. THE PENALTY PHASE IS SEPARATE INTO TWO PARTS. FIRST, THE JURY WILL DETERMINE IF BOWERS IS ELIGIBLE AS BOB WAS TOUCHING ON BEFORE THEN THEY’LL DECIDE IF DEATH IS A JUST SENTENCE. THE DEFENSE, DEL GRECO SAYS, WILL PROBABLY ENTER QUITE A BIT OF EVIDENCE AND CALL A LIST OF WITNESSES WHO CAN SPEAK TO ANY MENTAL INFIRMITY THAT BOWERS MAY HAVE SUFFERED IN THE PAST. SO IN THE DEFENSE’S EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH MITIGATING FACTORS, THE JURY WILL MOST LIKELY LEARN MUCH MORE ABOUT BOWERS LIFE AND UPBRINGING. THE PROSECUTION, MEANWHILE, HAS THE BURDEN OF PROVING THAT THE AGGRAVATING FACTORS OUTWEIGH THOSE MITIGATING FACTORS. DEL GRECO SAYS THOSE AGGRAVATING FACTORS MAY INCLUDE THE EXTENT OF THE ATROCITY. HE AND BOWERS DEEP ANIMOSTY TOWARDS --. I THINK THEY ARE PREPARED TO ARGUE AND PRESENT EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT HE WAS IN FACT RATIONAL, THAT THIS WAS A PLANNED, CALCULATED ATTACK DONE BY SOMEONE WHO WAS CLEAR ENOUGH THINKING IN ORDER TO EXECUTE IT. I’D BE REMISS IF I DIDN’T MENTION THAT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS HERE, THERE IS STILL A MORATORIUM ISSUED BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IN 2021. IN EFFECT PERTAINING TO FEDERAL EXECUTIONS. SO ANY PENDING EXECUTIONS RIGHT NOW ARE ON HOLD. THEY WON’T BE HAPPENING FOR SOME TIME. BUT AS IS EVIDENT BY THIS CASE, FEDERAL PROSECUTORS CONTINUE TO TRY TO BRING CAPITAL CASES TO TRIAL. WE’RE LIVE OUTSIDE THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN DOWN