Defense Wraps Up in Costa Concordia Captain’s Trial
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Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images(ROME) — The day of reckoning is approaching for the captain of the ill-fated Costa Concordia cruise ship, with lawyers giving their closing arguments on Monday.
Prosecutors have asked for 26 years in prison for Capt. Francesco Schettino for his role in the shipwreck that killed 32 people three years ago.
Schettino’s defense wrapped up by saying that if it hadn’t been for the captain’s astute decision to wait 45 minutes after the ship hit rocks off the coast of Tuscany to call for an evacuation, all of the 4,500 passengers and crew could have died.
Final arguments will continue through Monday, and the verdict is expected to come Tuesday night at the earliest.
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