January 22, 2005
Defense Wants To Question Potential Jurors One By One
Michael Jackson's defense team wants potential jurors questioned one at a time. This way defense lawyers want to find out what they know about court transcripts that were leaked to the media lately. In a respective motion filed by defense attorney Robert Sanger and released Thursday it is said:
"The grand jury transcripts have been leaked to the media, and, as a result, the jury pool has been prejudiced.
Whether they were actually released by the prosecutor or law enforcement or, even if they were purloined by those who support the prosecution, the impact is devastating. Prior to the leaks, it would have been hard enough to obtain a fair and impartial jury. Now the attainability of that goal, under any circumstances, may be impossible."
Robert Sanger suggested that unless they are able to find out what potential jurors know about the leaked documents, the entire summoned pool may need to be dismissed.
Steve Balash, a local attorney, said a sequestered jury selection has been used in Santa Barbara County before (e.g. during death penalty cases) to assure that potential jurors don't influence one another.
"The advantage to the attorneys is that jurors are likely to speak more freely in a sequestered setting. But it's painfully slow."
In another motion released Thursday, the defense requested to restrict the prosecution from mentioning past financial settlements made by Michael Jackson.
The motions will likely be addressed at a hearing on January 28, 2005.
Source: / MJFC / Special thanks to Nathan Dawson.
www.mjfanclub.net/news/index.html
A quanto ho capito la difesa dice che la fuga di notizie ha irreparabilmente compromesso l'imparzialità dei giurati. Quindi la difesa vorrebbe poterli interrogare.
Non ne sono sicura al 100%, chiedo aiuto a qualcuno che capisce meglio.