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Ryan expected to speak in his own defense: 'One minute of his testimony' could sway jury, professor says
They've heard from a caretaker, a former U.S. senator, a lottery winner and even the head of homeland security under California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. In all, jurors have endured testimony from nearly 50 witnesses in the 13 weeks since George Ryan's public corruption trial began. But there's still one person who could drastically reshape their impressions: the former governor himself. And he may have that opportunity, because it seems likely that Ryan will take the stand in his own defense. Lawyers representing Ryan and his co-defendant Lawrence Warner said last week they expect to put their clients on the stand after the prosecution rests this month. "I expect him to testify," Ryan's lead defense attorney Dan Webb said. "It's my belief and my expectation that he will testify." Warner's attorney, Ed Genson, said he too plans to put his client on the stand. "My inclination is he will testify," Genson said. Both Webb and Genson said they'll make a final decision when the prosecution rests, which is expected mid-month. Neither would go into the tactical reasoning of doing something that defense lawyers typically avoid. ... Ryan's testimony could provide a narrative jurors are seeking and instantly shift the focus of the trial onto one thing: whether he is believable, DePaul University law professor Stephan Landsman said. "One minute of his testimony could galvanize it one way or another," Landsman said.
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