Rule reminder
Italian has a rich set of reporting verbs beyond 'dire': affermare, sostenere, dichiarare (statements); chiedere, domandare, voler sapere (questions); ordinare, comandare, esigere (orders); ammettere, confessare (admissions); negare, smentire (denials); promettere, garantire (promises); avvertire, avvisare (warnings).
The lawyer argued that his client was innocent. Which verb best fits a legal context?