Figliola deliberations begin today

A jury is now deliberating the fate of Maria Figliola. Six months of proceedings wrapped up late this afternoon and now the jury will be sequestered until it reaches a verdict of whether or not she is guilty of hiring a hit man to kill her husband Frank in 2001.

The jury knows that this is the second time Maria Figliola has faced this trial. In the first trial in 2006, the jury spent several days deliberating before coming back with a decision. Everything is taking longer in this trial. Each lawyer took two days to sum up his case and the judge spent two days instructing the jury.

The Crown says Maria Figliola had her husband killed because she felt entitled to his money and he was about to leave her because he knew about the affair she was having. She told friends at work that she had the means to get rid of Frank and she had three scenarios of how it could be done, including having someone wait for him when he went for his usual walk on a lonely pathway.

The Crown says she lied to police repeatedly to mislead them about her role in the murder.

The Defence says Frank Figliola had a serious gambling problem that included illicit gambling, and that’s what likely got him killed. They say Frank’s gambling habit is part of what led Maria Figliola to defraud the CIBC of half a million dollars when she worked there in the 90’s. The Defence also says police manipulated witnesses into agreeing to the version of the story the police had concocted.

The judge has told the jury they have to decide who to believe, and they can go over the evidence as much as they want. For example the video recordings of Figliola talking to police.

The jury will probably deliberate until nine or nine thirty tonight, and if they haven’t decided they’ll go to a hotel and be back here in the morning.