Hi everyone, Laura here.

Tuesday, October 3rd was the first day of the criminal trial of the United States against

Sam Pinkman-Freed.

Unchained will be bringing you quick recaps of each day of the trial, and you can find

our coverage not just on the podcast and on video, but also in our newsletter and on

our website.

Before the proceedings, Pinkman-Freed sat with Council on either side, noticefully thinner

than he had looked previously, and his hair recently shorn so his curls seemed less

unkempt than his signature look.

He was also noticeably less jittery than normal.

I did not see him shake his leg at all.

He had a laptop and sometimes appeared to be scrolling via the trackpad.

At one point Judge Kaplan addressed SPF directly and said, quote, Mr. Pinkman-Freed,

I want to make sure this is something that you understand.

You have the right to testify in your own defense in this case, and the decision as to whether

or not you testify is a decision solely for you.

You are entitled to have your Council's best advice on whether they think it is wise,

or potentially advantageous, or not advantageous for you to testify, but they can't make

the decision for you.

It is your call.

While the defense has not yet indicated whether Pinkman-Freed will testify, he has gone

against most legal advice thus far, and given numerous media interviews about what happened

...