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Defense Rests In Enron Trial

The trial against Enron Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling, is over, with the defense giving its closing arguments in what will surely become a landmark piece of business jurisprudence. Defense attorney Dan Petrocelli tried to dismiss the government`s case against Skilling, saying witnesses pleaded guilty to crimes they didn`t commit and accused prosecutors of trying to criminalize business decisions that only look bad in retrospect.

Petrocelli told the jury, "There`s no negotiating back there: He either did it or he didn`t." "You can say fraud to your heart`s content. No matter how many times you say fraud, it doesn`t make it true." Petrocelli added, "There have to be facts, folks. He didn`t commit any crimes. He deserves to go home with the rest of us when this case is over."

There are 28 criminal charges against Skilling, most involve alleged securities fraud stemming from the disastrous Enron collapse. The fallout from the Enron affair has been felt far and wide in the business community, with many other business scandals coming to light in the wake of the scandal.