Accused bank robber, 66, was simply trying to open an account, his lawyer argues
A 66-year-old man wasn’t trying to rob a Trenton, New Jersey, bank when he walked up to a teller window and put his hand in his pocket on Oct. 4, 2013.
Henry Kidd Sr. just wanted to open an account so he could arrange to have his Social Security checks deposited there, his lawyer told the jury during closing arguments Monday in Kidd’s bank robbery trial. Caroline Turner pointed to the fact that her client had no gun and said his ragged appearance and unclear diction led to his being misinterpreted by an inexperienced teller who was for the first time working on her own, the Trentonian reports.
“He was clueless and confused,” Turner told the jury. “But because of his appearance, it was assumed he was up to no good.”
Prosecutor Tim Ward scoffed at the defense explanation and said a bank security guard, like the teller, heard Kidd ask for more money after she put one stack of cash on the counter, the article reports. The guard interrupted the alleged robbery by pushing Kidd and pinning him against the counter.
“Which is rational? Which one is reasonable? Which one makes sense?” Ward said of the conflicting prosecution and defense scenarios. “When two people hear the same thing, it’s not because they were misunderstood. It’s because they heard it.”
Jurors are expected to begin deliberating Tuesday.
