. >> reporter: carter puts her fate in the hands of one man, judge lawrence moniz. mistake? >> big mistake. >> reporter: what might the defense have hoped to gain by going for a bench trial? >> i think the defense was afraid of the response that a jury would have to these texts. they're terrible. >> they're very incendiary. >> and so i think that you are hoping that a judge will be able to view it in a more rational -- >> like calmer heads prevail. >> and maybe focus on issues like causation and the definition of the statute, as opposed to how horrible the texts are. >> reporter: and so the trial begins. >> she assisted and devised and advised and planned his suicide. she pushed him to kill himself sooner rather than later, and she mocked him when he chose to delay his death. >> reporter: prosecutors mary clare flynn and katie rayburn laying out the case and a motive. >> if you really look at it, your honor, she's really desperate for attention. look at me, i lost my boyfriend. >> you presented her as a girl who was manipulating, who was looking for attention. >> she wanted