The Crash: Did Mackenzie Shirilla's Defense Team Blow the Case?

Netflix's The Crash has reignited debate over one of the most controversial murder cases in recent memory. Did Mackenzie Shirilla intentionally drive her car into a building, killing her boyfriend Dominic Russo and friend Davion Flanagan, or was it a tragic act of reckless driving that prosecutors turned into a murder case? In this episode of Both Sides of the Bench, former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney Shaun Yurtkuran breaks down the evidence, the law, and the defense strategy that continues to divide lawyers across the country. Shaun explains the difference between direct and circumstantial evidence, how prosecutors prove intent, why Hollywood's version of premeditation is often wrong, and why he believes the decision to waive a jury trial may have been the defense's biggest mistake. Drawing on 21 years of courtroom experience and comparing the case to a fatal crash prosecution from his own career, Shaun examines the question at the heart of The Crash: When does reckless driving become murder? Was the evidence enough to prove intent beyond a reasonable doubt? And would twelve jurors have reached the same conclusion as the judge? Join the discussion.