Pubdate: Mon, 25 Apr 2005
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News
Contact:  http://ntnews.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/283
Author: Cindy Wockner
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

CORBY PENS PLEA OF INNOCENCE

Schapelle Corby will deliver a personal plea "from her own heart"to the 
judges in her trial this week, begging them to listen to all the evidence 
and find her not guilty of drug smuggling.

Ms Corby has told her lawyers she wants to deliver the plea herself, to 
supplement their lengthy legal closing address.

Her lawyers said she was writing her own statement in jail at the weekend 
and hoped to perfect it early this week.

It is expected that delivering the statement will be an emotionally 
difficult moment for the 27-year-old, who has, from day one, tearfully 
proclaimed her innocence. And on the last occasion she addressed the judges 
and the prosecutor she broke down, begging them to let her go home.

Ms Corby's lawyer Lily Lubis said Ms Corby was working on the statement, 
which will be in her own words and her own handwriting and "from her own 
heart".

"She is basically going to ask the judges not to be blinded by what the 
prosecutor has said," Ms Lubis said.

"She is going to beg the judges to open their eyes and their hearts and use 
their intelligence and the facts.

"It is going to be her words. We are not telling her what to say. She 
looked nervous but she is trying to be strong."

Prosecutors last week told the three judges hearing her case she was 
legally and convincingly guilty of trying to smuggle 4.1kg of marijuana 
into Bali and that she should be sentenced to life in jail with a 100 
million rupiah ($A13,500) fine.

Ms Corby's defence team are still working on their closing address, or 
"pleidooi", planning a long day and night today putting the finishing 
touches to the address and working out exactly what they need to tell the 
judges.
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MAP posted-by: Beth