Today is the fifth day of David Phillips Jr.’s second-degree murder trial in Cedar County District Court.

Not sure how the day will play out, but there’s a good chance the jury will hear closing arguments and begin deliberating.

Phillips is testifying in his own defense. When he and Israel Matos-Colon were arguing on March 1, 2023, Phillips said he felt as though Matos-Colon was going to cause him serious bodily harm. So Phillips started firing his gun “to get him away from me.”

“I was just shooting him to try to get him away from me,” Phillips said. “I had no intention on hitting him.”

We’re in recess now, but Phillips will continue to be cross-examined when we’re back on.

We’re in recess for lunch. Phillips testified for nearly three hours, and the defense indicated it would rest its case after lunch. Prosecutors likely will call at least one rebuttal witness.

The state called two rebuttal witnesses, and the judge has since gone over jury instructions with attorneys.

Closing arguments are next.

The judge said jurors will deliberate until 7 p.m. If they don’t have a verdict by then, they’ll return Monday morning.

The jury was handed the case for deliberation at 4:35 p.m. If they don’t have a verdict by 7, they’ll come back at 9 a.m. Monday. Phillips has waived sequestration, so the jury will be free to part ways for the weekend if they don’t have a verdict tonight.