What happens to a criminal case if the defendant dies before the verdict?
If a defendant dies before the verdict, the criminal case is ended and closed. You cannot try a dead man, and you cannot do any kind of business with a dead person. It is all done; the case is over.
Les teaches that a criminal case cannot continue if the defendant dies before the verdict. He recalls asking judges in his classes about a hypothetical: someone convicted of a hideous crime, with all evidence against him, about to be turned over to the jury, and almost sure to be found guilty. But just before it happens, the old boy dies. Les would ask the judge, “Now what happens?” The answer is: It’s all done. The case is ended. It’s closed. You can’t try a dead man. You can’t do any kind of business with a dead person. Les explains this is the analogy Paul is driving: if our old Adam is dead, you can no longer deal with him. That’s the whole idea.