Territory Braces for Verdict After Prosecutors Say Defendants ‘Walked Into’ Corruption

Closing arguments in the federal corruption trial of former Police Commissioner Ray Martinez and former Office of Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal began at about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday in the District Court of the Virgin Islands on St. Thomas, with a modest but attentive audience looking on. By about 3:38 p.m., all three attorneys had finished, the case had officially rested, and jurors were told they will begin deliberating at 8:30 a.m. Thursday — with a verdict possible as early as that day if the panel moves quickly, though it could also come later depending on how long they deliberate. What came before that moment was roughly two hours of sharply diverging narratives — three final attempts to shape how jurors will remember the evidence, the recordings, the documents, and the defendants themselves. One prosecutor described two powerful public officials who “walked into” corruption “willfully.” One defense attorney demanded to know, “Where is the invoice?” And another aske...