Attorney answers common questions as Lori Vallow Daybell trial enters Day 4
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The Arizona trial of Lori Vallow Daybell is full of oddities and legal nuances to sort through, and many people have burning questions.
Longtime Arizona attorney Josh Kolsrud, who’s not connected to this case, joined Good Morning Arizona on Thursday to provide some answers to viewers.
Why is Lori Vallow Daybell going back and forth with a witness who went on a date with Charles?
There were tense moments in the courtroom as Daybell grilled a witness who went on a date with her estranged ex-husband, Charles Vallow, right before his death.
“Laurie is getting a lot of flack online for her the type of questioning that she did with Nancy (Jo Hancock),” Kolsrud said. “Now I’ll tell you, Lori is asking the same exact questions that any defense attorney would ask in the same situation. The problem is that she’s representing herself.”
“So she seems like she’s bickering or she’s picking on the witness. But in reality, those are the exact type of questions that a defense attorney would ask to really try to show the credibility issues with the witness,” he added.
Why is Daybell allowed to represent herself when she’s already been convicted of the murder of her two children?
“Jury trials in the criminal justice system—it’s more than about just prison time,“ Kolsrud said. ”It’s about justice, accountability and closure.”
“In this case, Lori Vallow has already been convicted of murder in Idaho, but the case is on appeal. So there’s a chance, probably a small chance, that the case will be overturned and she’ll be released. So a conviction in this case protects the Idaho verdict just in case the Idaho appellate court overturns the case.
In Arizona, we have an outstanding bill of rights for victims, and that allows victims to have their day in court, and allowing this case to proceed the way it is, it’s sending a powerful message to other victims out there that you’re gonna have your day in court,” he explained.
When will the prosecutor get to question Daybell, and what would happen if she takes the stand?
“Once the prosecution is done with her case, she’ll rest. And then it’s Lori’s turn to have her day in court and to present her evidence.”
“Now when she takes the witness stand, which she probably will, she can do one of two things. She can either have one of her advisory councils, and she has two, ask her questions on direct examination, and then the prosecutor would have an opportunity to cross-examine her, and then her advisory council would have one last opportunity to ask her some direct examination questions. But there’s also another technique where Lori Vallow could do a narrative where she doesn’t have anybody ask her questions whatsoever, and she can literally stand before a jury and give a narrative about her side of the story,” Kolsrud explained.
Arizona’s Family’s live coverage of Day 4 of the Lori Vallow Daybell trial begins Thursday at 10:50 a.m.
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