In closing arguments, Brandon Caserta’s lawyer said Caserta was only a tough talker, and never would have carried out a plot to kidnap the governor.
Brandon Caserta may have said he wanted to kill lawyers, doctors and contact tracers, and blow up COVID-19 plants, but he never plotted to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, his lawyer argued Friday. It was the vaccine that had Caserta all riled up, the lawyer told jurors, and all he did was engage in “mean talk.” “We’re not here for you to decide whether you liked what he said,” said Mike Hills, Caserta’s attorney. “We’ve heard some talk, lots of talk, but we are here to determine whether Brandon Caserta by his words or actions agreed to a conspiracy to kidnap the governor of Michigan.” ‚You guys are our last chance‘: Adam Fox’s lawyer urges Whitmer kidnap plot jury to acquit ‚They intended to do it‘: Feds urge jury to convict Whitmer kidnap plot suspects Since the start of the trial, the jury has heard recordings of Caserta saying he wanted to target contact tracers, and would retaliate against the government for any COVID-19 vaccine mandates. „I will not tell you that wouldn’t come out of my client’s mouth,“ Hills said. „It would. But it didn’t happen in the context of killing the governor.“ Hills also pointed to a four-hour meeting between Caserta and „Big Dan,“ an FBI informant who testified previously in the trial, which took place Aug.16,2020. That day, Dan traveled to Caserta’s Canton apartment, where the two worked on Caserta’s car, visited AutoZone and ate a meal at McDonald’s, which Dan paid for. More: Informant: Whitmer kidnap suspect wanted to blow up COVID-19 vaccine plants, kill doctors Dan, Hills said, was wearing a wire the entire time. But Caserta never said anything about wanting to kidnap Whitmer — when Dan asked Caserta for a target, he only brought up contact tracers.
