Followup NH: James Cooper not Guilty of all Charges

Before the trial went to closing arguments, Judge Richard Titus granted a judgment of acquittal on one count of reckless endangerment, saying he did not believe there was sufficient evidence that Cooper had placed bystander Lisa Pickett in danger when she drove her car past the scene as Cooper held the two men at gunpoint.

In closing arguments Friday, Eldridge argued that Cooper was innocent of the charges, based on four defenses: defense of others, defense of property, mistake of fact and self-defense. For the jury to find Cooper guilty, Coyne had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Cooper did not meet every standard set in each of the defenses.

Throughout his argument, Coyne argued that Cooper was not reasonable in holding the two men at gunpoint and instilled fear in Richard Jehu and Tyler Forgas, seeking to prove that Cooper committed assault. Eldridge had argued that the men were never scared based on their actions in a video a bystander recorded of the incident.

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