Updated Wednesday, July 7th @ 5:50 p.m.

State of Florida vs. Joshua PhillipsNewsChannel 4 - Jacksonville

 Dateline: Bartow 

 Resources, etc.
NewsChannel 4's Deborah Gianoulis and Ray Lane will report live from Bartow in every newscast from Daybreak to Nitebeat for the duration of the trial.
While court is in session...
RealAudioListen to live
audio of the trial
presented in cooperation
with jacksonville.com
Maddie Clifton
A Snapshot
of Maddie
Nine Months from Disappearance to Trial
A Community Morns
...a memorial to Maddie


9:30 am: Circuit judge Charles Arnold charges the jury.


9:19 am: State Attorney Harry Shorstein begins the prosecution's opening statement.


9:44 am: Defense attorney Richard Nichols makes his opening statement.


10:05 am: Maddie's mother, Sheila Clifton, is the first prosecution witness.


10:25 am: Neighbor, Justin Illardi, last saw Maddie when she was in her garage looking for a golf ball to play with.


10:35 am: Justin's mother, Rose Illardi, told the court house they new the Phillips family.


10:45 am: Jessica Clifton, Maddie's older sister, is questioned by assistant state attorney Jay Plotkin. (Jessie was not photographed.)


10:50 am: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office detective Don Tuten recounts the Tuesday morning that Mrs. Phillips brought him to Josh's bedroom.


11:20 am: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office evidence technician David Chase describes what he found inside the Phillips home.


3:05 pm: Homicide detective William Taylor answered questions about his interview of Joshua Phillips at police headquarters immediately after his arrest.


5:25 pm: After the prosecution rested, Joshua Phillips, his attorney and parents, discussed with Judge Arnold the fact that the teen would not testify.
 

The trial... day one

A transcript of Ray Lane's Noon report....

Sheila Clifton, Maddie's mother:
"I GAVE HER A BIG HUG AND A KISS AND I SAID OKAY."

ONCE AGAIN SHEILA CLIFTON HAD TO REMEMBER THOSE LAST MOMENTS WHEN SHE SAW HER DAUGHTER MADDIE. THIS TIME, ON THE WITNESS STAND.

"I SAID, 'WHERE'S MADDIE?' AND JESSIE SAID, 'SHE'S NOT WITH US, MOM. SHE WASN'T WITH US.' WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S NOT WITH YOU? WASN'T SHE PLAYING OUTSIDE WITH ALL OF YOU? AND SHE SAID, 'NO, MOM, I HAVEN'T SEEN HER SINCE I CAME OUT FROM MY PIANO PRACTICE TO PLAY."

MOMENTS BEFORE, OPENING STATEMENTS, A TIME WHEN PROSECUTORS AND THE DEFENDANT'S ATTORNEY LAY OUT THEIR BLUEPRINTS FOR THE TRIAL.

STATE ATTORNEY HARRY SHORSTEIN SAYS MADDIE CLIFTON AND JOSHUA PHILLIPS WERE PLAYING BASEBALL IN PHILLIPS' BACKYARD THAT NOVEMBER EVENING, WHEN THE GRUESOME CRIME BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE, AFTER PHILLIPS HIT THE LITTLE GIRL IN THE HEAD WITH A BASEBALL. PROSECUTORS SAY PHILLIPS TOOK MADDIE TO HIS ROOM.

Harry Shorstein, State Attorney:
"HE SAID THAT INSIDE THE HOUSE, INSIDE THE ROOM, MADDIE STARTED TO YELL, AND HE DIDN'T WANT HER TO YELL. HE PUT HIS HAND OVER HER MOUTH BUT SHE CONTINUED TO SCREAM. THEN HE SAID HE TOOK THE BASEBALL BAT AND HIT HER ON THE HEAD ONCE OR TWICE, BUT HIT HER HARD. HE HIT HER WITH THE BAT, HE SAID, TO MAKE HER BE QUIET."

PROSECUTORS SAY PHILLIPS THEN WENT BACK AND STABBED MADDIE CLIFTON IN THE CHEST AT LEAST NINE TIMES. ALL THOSE ELEMENTS, PROSECUTORS SAY, MAKING THIS A FIRST-DEGREE, PREMEDITATED KILLING.

Richard Nichols, defense attorney:
"JOSHUA PHILLIPS IS NOT A MONSTER. BUT BECAUSE OF AN ACT THAT BEGAN AS AN ACCIDENT, AND DETERIORATED THROUGH PANIC THAT BORDERED ON MADNESS."