LIVE! Real Lawyer Reacts: Sex Therapist Amie Harwick - Opening Statements - A Prosecutor's Dream 

Also, as a potential juror, if I ever heard a defense attorney claim it was the murdered victim’s fault for not wanting to pay the perpetrator attention, umm I’m not sure I’d be able to listen to that attorney any longer.

Thank you thank you thank you for flowing this. Aimee was such an amazing person and she is well known in the Metal/ rock community. She was also on the board of Rock to Recovery. Everybody who knew her loved her. She was one of the nicest person in LA. She was married to a friend for a while, yeah she dated Drew Carey. When she died, it left a hole in so many hearts. I hope she gets Justice. She was more than a sex therapist, she was a beautiful soul who touched a lot of lives.

They didn't reconnect. The bumped into eachother at an event which he was working at. This is basically the start of what would ultimately end with her death. Great review and content!

Yes, please cover this. Domestic violence by current or former partners is tragic and often leads to the death of the other partner. IMO, many LE systems have either discounted concerns from victims, or do not have the necessary legal authority to intervene when protection is needed and requested.

I would think the jury would be as disgusted as many of us to hear the defense blame her for not wanting anything to do with him. She owed him nothing!

Grizzly True Crime coverage of this trial, combined with your legal insight on it is pure gold. Thank you for showing the opening statements and demonstratives! I’m a fan of the LYK!!

I'm a visual learner. The demonstrative aids provided by the prosecution are a home run for me. Great review & commentary! Thanks for all that you do.

Thank you for covering this, Peter. I'm very interested in hearing more about this case, so I hope you'll continue to cover it.

He fiddled with the neighbor's cameras so he had worse intentions than just a friendly chat forced on her in the middle of Valentine night or benevolent suicide in her house. Nobody prevented him from using the syringe on himself during the hours while he waited or after whatever happened. He even invited over a woman to his house after the incident. They arrested him in her presence and she will be asked to testify also.

The old saying "a picture speaks a thousand words" is really true in communication. I love the "demonstratives" as you call them. People are visual and like to see models of concepts and ideas. I also agree these were powerful visuals.

It is absolutely slam dunk! And watching him during these opening statements.....he knows what happened. He knows the prosecutors have this right.

The jury will easily figure this out. Everyone recognizes a stalker situation and the woman’s obvious fear.

Yea Peter, please continue covering this case. The exact minute his attorney blamed the victim was the exact minute I wanted to see him fry. That’s as low as you go. I think the jury will feel the same. Absolutely disgusting. So sad 🥺😔. Watching trials for the last several years, I’ve come to the realization that there are a lot more evil people in this world than I ever thought there were 😳😵‍💫🥶.

Believe it or not - Gareth's father was accused of stalking his ex-fiance years ago, as well. 🤦‍♀ With that type of "role model", he clearly didn't think there was anything wrong with his doing the same thing to Amie, sadly.

Don't forget the numerous restraining orders and DV complaints for this guy! This poor woman was terrified of him and she noted and told everyone. If he was planning on using the syringe on himself then he wanted to do it in front of her to traumatize her for life!

Sounds like he felt entitled to her time and attention. Breakups often suck, but that doesn’t mean someone owes you. She tried to set boundaries with him and it cost her her life. RIP Amie 💔

Just from several experience from an obsessed person, you cannot reason with them. You can try to ease the breakup by saying we can just be friends, but they will not settle for this and keeps thinking there is hope. So you HAVE to break off totally. No communication or contact is the only way. And yes, years later, in my case 25 years later, one by coincidence found out where I lived that my neighbor told me about and he started stalk me again. You cannot give an inch to people like him.

Thank you for covering Peter. I think it's extremely helpful to show all of these power points. It paints a great picture for all to see.

I like the use of the factual demonstrative aids...it really helps the jurors visualize it.

Yes, the visuals are needed to make a bigger impact. So many people are visual learners and don’t take in much info when it’s just verbally communicated.

Rewatch crew. Please continue to cover the case. She did everything right and that still couldn’t keep her safe. Demonstratives are very helpful! I feel the evidence is overwhelming from what was presented so far. Defense argument is weak in my opinion.

I follow you religiously, thank you for breaking down legal matters for us mere mortals (I'm an Economics major/Foreign Affairs minor from the University of Virginia). I am being bullied by the home owners association. I have reason to believe it's against Florida law. May we have a very short call?

I've been following this with Grizzly. His "poor me, I was so depressed" defense is nauseating! I would love for you to cover it and get your thoughts on the trial.

Never blame the victim

I’m a visual learner so this type of presentation is very helpful to me!

The defense is in big trouble with this argument. Also victim blaming is NOT going to go over well with the jury!

I'm glad you said that Peter, as although the prosecutor undeniably brought the visual goods, he unfortunately fell short of emotive story telling, often mixing up the names of individuals and his speech was routinely interrupted with increasingly regular filler words such as "ahm", "uhm" & "er" & constantly having to return to his notes that really broke the flow of story telling that made you forget where you were in the story line and served as a major distraction to the overall impact of such an horrific crime.

Yes please continue to cover this! Also wondering if you heard/ were considering going over the 8 passengers (ruby franke) child abuse case? As someone who grew up watching them I am SUPER invested and have a feeling it will go to trial (at some point). I feel very certain the mom will not take a plea!

I definitely have interest. This woman was a family & marriage & sex therapist who got stuck in a domestic violence relationship & she had broken it off with him over 9 years beforehand.

I’ve been following you since Depp v. Turd… stayed around for your legal insight and would love you to keep hearing what you got to say about this case. Please keep following it.

There was a case here in Australia several years ago when a meth head threw his fiance off the 14th floor right in the middle of Sydney. He was a controlling piece of garbage and she was planning to escape him, but when he found out about it he lost it and threw her off the balcony. Defense tried to claim that because she was a dancer she took a ballet-style swan dive off the balcony, to explain why there were none of her fingerprints on the glass panels. That defense went about as well as you'd expect.

As a woman, being overpowered by someone bigger and stronger is a primordial fear that is hardwired and ingrained in most women. As a juror, listening to the defense blame the victim only incites a seething anger and deep disgust. If you want to lose a case miserably and increase the odds of being hit with the highest penalty available, then this is the defense strategy you want to go with.

Yes! Please cover this trial! I’ve been watching it since day one!

Yes, please continue to follow the therapist Amie Harwick case. 😊

Thank you, Peter. Yes, the best way to teach/explain is to engage as many senses as possible. See it, hear it, touch it, write notes, etc. These demonstratives are extremely helpful in helping the jury understand the situation.

Thank you so much, Peter! As I was listening the other day, I was dumbfounded and confused at the defense opening statement. You have helped me to make sense of it. I've followed TC for a long time but only recently started to watch trials. Again, many thanks!

I loved the way the Prosecution did opening statements. I’m more visual so it was perfect. Yes please cover, glad to see your ok after the hurricane. 🙏🏻

#replay the demonstratives are very helpful. They are very well put together and easy to follow.

Yeah... I'm watching this case. Defence basically saying he killed her cause he was depressed. I bet the jury has already made their decision. Such a beautiful woman in a lovely home. I've zero doubt. He'll be found guilty 💯

Please continue to cover this case. I always love your take on cases and the way you break them down for us. Thank you, Peter!

If you keep your settings as they are on this video & others just set their device live captions, it picks up what the court says even when low. It works for me ❤

Thanks for covering this case! Not many true crime channels on RU-vid cover this case and I am so thankful u share your invaluable insights with us! I hope u can continue to talk about this trial! Many thanks Peter! 🙏🙏

I just didn’t understand how she didn’t get or see the ring camera notifications prior to going home. Super sad. Thankfully the roommate on the first floor heard the struggle and screams from the 3rd floor right away and called 911. Makes you wonder how neither roommate in Idaho heard anything.

Im very glad you’re covering this, although I can’t watch it. I was stalked and attacked 18 years ago. But I am glad you’re doing it, it’s important. 😊

Yes please cover these crimes they are important to make public. As a former detective in australia these are the worst cases to work as there is always a paper trail to follow of previous domestic violence. Thank u for your hard work you bringing light to these cases may help other woman in similar situations to speak up.

I've watched a lot of this trial and I have a lingering question concerning the ring doorbell. IF it resets itself if you hold your hand over it, as they say it does, then how do they have the footage of him BEFORE he touched it? It may be a simple thing but I am totally stumped. I am so glad you picked up this trial as is mentioned before in comments, it is so important to show the dangers and importance of domestic abuse in a relationship and how very important it is to seek help if you experience it. You make it so much easier to understand all the different angles for the prosecution and defense. You're a treasure!

Love the demonstratives!! It surely helps with attention and following the story!!

I was just hoping yesterday you'd cover this! Thanks!

I’m so glad you’re covering this case!!

Thank you, Peter, for always looking at new cases and what you think we can learn from them. This one is important, and you never know, it might save lives to learn about it. Also, demonstrative aids are the best! People will remember pictures far more easily than words alone. It helps contextualise everything. 6:06 the audio is still 1000% better than in the Kohberger case. That keyboard! 😩

If the defense is truly going to argue that Amie should have just heard him out, then I hope the prosecution brings experts on DV and stalking to state that engaging with your stalker/controlling ex is the WORST possible thing you can do. It only makes that person more dangerous to their victim.

I’m a very visual person so demonstratives like this would be incredibly helpful to me as a juror.

Yes, I would ask you to continue to follow this case for us. As always, I appreciate your approach to letting the facts prove the case rather than public opinion.

8 years later. She was gone. She left him. She did it. She left. And 8 years later this happens. 8 YEARS LATER OF NOT SEEING ONE ANOTHER! He kills her like they were still in a relationship. Unreal. She did everything right and he still got her.

Been watching your channel since Depp v Heard, and I definitely would love for you to follow this case closely, it's so helpful to receive your legal explications and analysis. Legalese can be confusing, so your breakdowns are always helpful. My heart goes out to Amie's family, friends and clients for their devastating loss. Love and light to them, and may justice prevail.

Peter, this is a great breakdown of a case I was not even aware existed. Just a little bummed that I missed the live. The live chat is just as interesting as your commentary. I hope I am not expected to keep an open mind on this... It looks like the prosecution has done an amazing job putting together their evidence. I am not shocked by the defense, but I know he has the right to a zealous defense. I have to respect the Defense is doing their job, and trust the jury to reach a just verdict. I am not buying the defense, so while I think their theory is possible, the premeditation (in my own opinion) is obvious. The prosecution showing the email, keeping the focus on facts, is really well done. I have a permanent restraining order against a stalker, so I am biased.

YES! please keep following this case..... as much as you possibly can. I am also interested in keeping up (through YOU) what ever comes up with Idaho 4 case. THANKSSSSS.

That's horrible. My heart goes out to her family.

Thank you Peter for saying exactly what I was thinking!!! He (pursehouse’s defense lawyer) was making me so angry as if Dr. Amie owed this dufus a hug, or a talk 🤬. Victim blaming was so 20 yrs ago!!

That presentation is amazing!I find it very helpful.

I've never seen so much evidence. I'm surprised the defendant went to trial.

New to your channel for this case. Thanks for covering this tragic story.

I'm a visual learner so I'm a big fan of demonstrative tools for anything, but especially if I was a juror it would be huge to me

I have been following this case since it started. Thank you Peter!

I 100% want to follow this case if we can. It sounds interesting. Also van we talk about the judge's mic it's amazing. I would also agree that the use of power point is very engaging

Yes thank you for covering this! Thanks Peter!

Thanks for your commentary on this trial. I would love to see more coverage of it.

Yes please keep covering this case! I really appreciate your insights especially with guy obsessing over her for so long.

I didn’t know anything about this case until Jessie Weber covered it on Law & Crime’s Sidebar episode a couple of days ago. This isn’t a trial that I will be following closely, but I always appreciate your legal expertise and insights on cases and trials.

I would love if you continued the coverage of this case. My close friends from LA - grew up together .. were friends with her and worked with her with abused and abandoned dogs. I’ve only heard very positive stories about what an amazing human she was. Plus, this topic needs more awareness. Even, as a therapist who knew what danger she was in.. was still brutally murdered. Happens way too often where beautiful women’s lives are snuffed out by monsters like this. Love your commentary!

I agree with Christina from chat: Restraining orders should NEVER expire...they are place FOR A REASON. PERIOD.

Thank you for covering this trial.❤

Thank you for covering this case!

So glad you are covering this case !!

No one is going to believe that syringe was for him. NO WAY!

It feels like she fought him HARD, and he couldn't get the syringe into her, or she knocked it out of his hands. No one waits in hiding for that long of a time without the intention of doing harm. I am a DV survivor of a man who had very similar behaviors; this guy reeks of 1st degree. Perhaps I'm being biased.

💯Yes, please cover this case. Would really love your insight on this trial. Also, I am very visual so the demos, calendar & videos are so helpful!

Hey Everyone! Hoping you all have a great weekend. ❤

So excited to see you covering this. Just learned about this case.

The RO was the second one set consecutively, the last one expired 2-3,]weeks prior to murder. The Golden colored home with ring cameras is the neighbor not Ms, Harwicks. The moment he fled was the nieghbor walkway that glass door is a laundry room of the neighbors

I just recently learned of this case. I looked up some info on this case last night, but didn’t really understand what exactly happened. Anyways, thank you for covering this case, I now have a much better understanding of what happened. This guys behavior is so appalling tied in with the victim blaming is so gross in my opinion. The thing I don’t really understand is why they’re admitting guilt, but saying he didn’t plan it. I’m just not sure how a 2nd degree murder sentence would be that much different from one of 1st degree. I would imagine that a guilty verdict for either would mean he would never get out anyways.

This case is extremely interesting and I have had more questions about it than any case on your channel before, especially concerning the state actors and the judge. Thank you for covering this, your voice of reason helps me to not be extremely angry about it.

I agree with you Peter any demonstrative aides are helpful! I will say this prosecutor used them expertly in my opinion. Not only was he able to provide context in terms of history, the passage of time, the space, the defendants own actions recorded before and after he killed her on the Ring doorbell as well as her own words about how frightened she was of the defendant after she encountered the defendant at a very public event; but, the prosecutor was also able through demonstrative aids to show the defendant’s size compared to the victim, the blood DNA that was found at the victim’s apartment. Although I agree the prosectors opening statement was not the most engaging in terms of the language he used….but, the demonstrative aides the prosecutor used more than made up for his lack of verbal engagement. I wished more lawyers (both prosecutors and defense) used more demonstrative aides as I believe the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Therefore, in opening and closing statements when the time these attorneys have to talk directly to the jurors is limited those demonstrative aides can speak volumes in the jurors minds as they deliberate their verdict.

Very much interested!!! Please cover this!! Such an important subject!

I’m obsessed with this case. I’ve been watching it closely.

Definitely interested in continued coverage and commentary.

Ring door bell is the neighbors house. I'm watching this trial so I would be grateful if you would like to cover it. He had that nicotine at his home too. The story about this guy is pathetic.Telling her so many things, loving her etc, but texting another woman before unaliving her & after.

It’s great to have a visual to better explain everything and where everyone was.

I would love you to follow this case. There was the defendants DNA under the victims finger nails and yet the defence says he is not guilty! Please follow this case Peter.

Restraining orders are a complete joke. I was stalked by a very violent person for nearly 8 years and had 3 different ROs - which are very hard to enforce...the stalker disappears by the time PD arrives 99% of rhe time. We moved 16 times in 4 yrs, often with less than 3 days to pack, move, and secure new housing, just to try and make it harder for my stalker to find it. It turns out they had a friend at the DMV who was providing our new address each time we updated it...being the law abiding citizens that we are. I eventually had to dismantle my entire life to ensure the safety of myself and family once and for all, by getting a confidential identity change - new name, SSN, the works. I lost my education/medical/credit history in rhe process and had to start from scratch at 28 years old - as did my hubby and kids who also got new identities. This was in California, so the comment about having rhe harshest stalking laws may be true on paper but it is not at all true in practice.

Thank you Peter for covering this trial. It was very difficult to hear the Defense's argument. IF it is true, police found an identical filled syringe at his place, that really proves he went there to kill her, not himself! Perhaps he intended to use the 2nd injection (if true) on himself later. If his intend was really to just talk (I do not believe that at all!) , why did he run away and not attempt to help her? I think we know the answer. He did not want to get caught!

I've been watching this case. I was wondering if you would introduce this to your platform. I am thankful you did.

I hope you continue to cover this case. It's very interesting.

Yes, I like the demonstratives. They help with the facts.

He intended to do something or he wouldn't have broken into her house. If he had something to say to her he could have sent her a letter and she would still be living her life.

When I was 5 I fell 30 feet and landed on my head, As soon as I started falling I was out of my body and in the trees watching myself fall. I did die but was brought back to life, I was in the hospital for a long time and had to re learn how to walk and talk.

Hi, Peter, I just discovered this on RU-vid. It is so nice of you to help us understand cases. I have been a subscriber and member of your "team" since the Depp/Heard trial. Thank you for your expert opinion on these things!!

His father has restraining orders on him too from an ex. He stalked and harassed her for 3 years! Apple doesn't fall from the tree lol

I remember watching another show talking about using FARO 3D technology on the crime scene in Moscow, Idaho. I know it’s a completely different case, but this reminded me of seeing that. It is great to see so much detail.

Yes, please continue to cover. Thank you!