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Mauricio Guerrero
s04e11 · 2025-08-02
Running · US
Taking the Stand
A&E Documentary
What it is
Taking the Stand tells the story of a crime from the unique lens of the accused as they take the witness stand. Hosted by Dan Abrams, each episode covers everything from first-hand defendant testimony, juxtaposed with the contentious cross examination to the final verdict. There is a reason that taking the witness stand in your own defense is a gamble that very few criminal defendants ever take. In addition to interviews with key members of the investigation, the series features original video from law enforcement, surveillance camera footage, 911 audio recordings, digital forensic evidence and some exclusive interviews and responses from the defendants themselves, to provide an in-depth look at dozens of raw and real cases.
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11 this season · 51 totals04e01 Richard Acosta 2025-05-29 02:01
Richard Acosta
Richard Acosta, Jr. is being tried for capital murder, accused of being the getaway driver for his 14-year-old son, Abel. Surveillance footage at a Texas convenience store captures Abel shooting four teens, killing three. To date, Abel remains at large. Will Acosta be sentenced to life or will the jury believe he was unaware of his son's actions?
s04e02 Hannah Payne 2025-06-05 02:01
Hannah Payne
Hannah Payne is on trial for the murder of Kenneth Herring, a motorist who fled the scene of an accident. She claims after a brief pursuit and an ensuing confrontation, Herring accidentally shot himself with her gun. However, eyewitness cell phone videos tell a different story. Will the jury decide Payne's actions were those of a good Samaritan or a cold-blooded killer?
s04e03 Darrin Lopez 2025-06-12 02:01
Darrin Lopez
Darrin Lopez, a disabled Special Forces veteran, faces a murder charge for shooting his girlfriend's husband. But investigators discover there's a much more to the story than a simple love triangle gone wrong. Can Lopez's testimony convince jurors this was a justified killing?
s04e04 Lori Phillips 2025-06-19 02:01
Lori Phillips
A year after discovering her husband's frozen body in the driveway, Lori Phillips faces charges of 2nd Degree Reckless Homicide for his death. Prosecutors allege she ran over her husband, Mark Phillips, and tried to conceal her actions.
s04e05 Charlie Adelson 2025-06-26 02:01
Charlie Adelson
Florida periodontist Charlie Adelson stands accused of hiring two hitmen to murder his ex-brother-in-law, Dan Markel, in order to free his sister from a nasty child custody dispute.
s04e06 Sasha Skare 2025-07-03 02:01
Sasha Skare
Sasha Skare, 23, is on trial for the murder of her music producer and lover Martell DeRouen. She has turned down a plea deal and decided to take the stand to tell her side of the story--that she was abused, and the shooting was unintentional.
s04e07 Steven Jones 2025-07-10 02:01
Steven Jones
After being sucker-punched during a campus gathering, Northern Arizona University freshman Steven Jones shoots four fellow students, injuring three and killing one. Facing life in prison, Jones has decided to take the stand to convince the jury the shooting was an act of self defense. Will the jury see a helpless student scared for his life? Or a cold-blooded killer, deserving of life behind bars?
s04e08 Richard Merritt 2025-07-17 02:01
Richard Merritt
After eight months on the run, disgraced personal-injury attorney Richard Merritt faces trial for the brutal murder of his 77-year-old mother, Shirley. The prosecution paints Richard as a narcissistic manipulator who murdered his mother and disappeared, but the defense claims Shirley was murdered in an act of revenge by Richard's previous fraud victims. Will jurors believe Merritt's story, or will he spend the rest of his life in prison?
s04e09 Steve Pankey 2025-07-19 02:01
Steve Pankey
35 years after 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews disappeared from her home in Greeley, CO, her remains are recovered. Investigators charge former Idaho Gubernatorial candidate Steve Pankey with murder. Maintaining his innocence, Pankey will take the stand to illustrate the circumstantial aspects of the case. But will it be enough to warrant an acquittal?
s04e10 Demarcus Little 2025-07-26 02:01
Demarcus Little
Active-duty Army Sergeant Demarcus Little is on trial for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Anitra Gunn. Little has decided to testify in his own defense to tell the jury he would never harm his "soulmate." Will the jury see Demarcus as an innocent upstanding soldier or send him to prison for life?
s04e11 Mauricio Guerrero 2025-08-02 02:01
Mauricio Guerrero
An online fantasy romance turns into a nightmare when Mauricio Guerrero breaks into the home of an OnlyFans content creator. Guerrero is taking the stand in an effort to convince the jury it was all an act of sexual role play. Will his sordid testimony be enough to keep him out of prison?