So here's what we know after Friday: Asha Burwell and Ariel Agudio were questioned at UAlbany police headquarters on February 2. The day before, the women told police they needed to contact their attorneys before speaking with police.
Police never told Burwell and Agudio that they could have attorneys in their police questioning, and they never knew their Miranda rights -- the right to remain silent, and so forth.
So were Burwell and Agudio being treated like victims, or like suspects? And should they have an attorney? It is the question Burwell's attorney raised Friday, and he said he did not get a straight answer.
"[The line] is blurred at this point," defense attorney Frederick Brewington said, "particularly in regard to the action of these police officers in these two departments."
Now, it is complicated to explain, but according to the judge, Brewington's argument there was not entirely valid in Friday's hearing. But it does enable us to see where the defense is headed at trial.
Outside court Friday, a group from Black Lives Matter and Capital Area Against Mass Incarceration rallied in support of the women. The group worked hard to block our cameras from ever seeing Burwell and Agudio, telling us they love the defendants, and they have their back.
Going forward, the judge will make a decision about Friday's hearing in the new year. We are likely to see a trial in this controversial case by February.