Attorneys will hand the case of Yoginder Dandass over to jurors after making one final pitch today.
Dandass, a former Mississippi State University computer science and engineering professor, is accused of the sexual battery of his adopted Russian daughter. The alleged abuse occurred from when the victim was 11 years old to when she was 17, according to testimony from earlier in the trial.
The case will begin with closing statements from the state and defense today, before the case is handed over to jurors for consideration.
According to Miss. Code Ann. § 43-47-18, a conviction for sexual battery can carry up to a 30-year prison sentence.
Assistant District Attorney Katie Moulds is representing the state’s case against Dandass. Attorneys Matt Wilson and Bobby Vance are defending Dandass. Mississippi 16th Circuit Judge Lee Coleman is presiding over the case.
Testimony concluded Thursday, after several witnesses, including Dandass himself, testified for both the state and defense.
Moulds told jurors during her opening statements at the beginning of the week that she intended to prove the state’s case against Dandass, but the final decision would rest with them.
“Your job is to listen to the evidence,” Moulds said. “Y’all determine what happened. Y’all determine who to believe and who not to believe. You’re the triers of the facts.”
Wilson, during his statements earlier in the week, implored jurors to carefully consider both sides when the case is ultimately given over to them.
“There are two sides to this story,” Wilson said. “The way our court system works, we have to go second, and that’s because they do have to prove their case but we don’t. If you hear only one side, our system will fail. I’m asking you to listen closely to our side as well as to theirs, because we don’t believe the evidence will show that (the victim) was any kind of victim, much less a victim of Dr. Yogi Dandass.”
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