During testimony in his trial, Tom Petters acts as if he were in a board meeting, passing notes and whispering to his attorneys, listening attentively, well turned out in neatly tailored business suits.

His brother Jon has been there every day, and during breaks Petters, gets up turns around, makes eye contact with Jon and gives him a smile. The smile is confident, an upbeat look.

Witness after witness stressed what an extraordinary salesman Petters is.

I can't see how he is looking at the jury, but you have to wonder if he is giving them that same look.

The key to this case for both sides is whistleblower Deanna Coleman. In her only court appearance last year, she appeared on the verge of breaking down. Flanked by her lawyer and a prosecutor, she struggled to get out her guilty plea. She was emotional then, crying softly most of the time in that very brief, non-combative appearance. She has had a year to prepare.

Now she will have to come face to face with the man who was her mentor, her boss and for a time her lover. How she does, how she holds up could determine the outcome.