Riordan's tactic is clear.
He throws a potporri into every motion hoping it will look like more than it is.
He's done it since day one, and it looks like he's playing to the court of public opinion more than to the actual court.
Any defense attorney worth their salt with very little will try this kind of case on public opinion. Just like a prosecutor worth their salt would try this case on emotion.
eg
Defense
"Because if there's any of you that will think back to other things you've heard about, other things that you've read about, other things that you've talked about, then there's no reason for me to continue, I may as well just sit back down."
Prosecution
"Michael Moore was 8 years old, he was a student at Weaver Elementary School in West Memphis, uh, a school right there in the neighborhood where he lived."
Author