Dear Viewers,
As promised, the "inside" of our cable news show -- which includes information that gets sent me and that does not make air.
I received this e-mail from a viewer -- not from a reporter or correspondent. This viewer has been a loyal follower of the Scott Peterson (search) double murder trial and stands in line each day to get one of the public seats. The viewer has been sending me e-mails about the jury selection and what I like about the e-mails is that they take me inside the jury selection process.
I promise that you will not see the information in this e-mail report -- the viewer's impression and record of the jury selection -- any place else!
Here’s the e-mail:
Two more jurors were qualified today in the Peterson Trail bringing the total number to 17.
The first juror to qualify today, Juror #5966, is a 30-something Asian woman who is a head-hunter for finance for Bank of America… This woman stated that she reads the newspapers to hunt for prospective clients, that she can avoid reading about the Peterson case, and that she was willing to put aside all pretrial publicity. When asked by Geragos if she could be a fair juror, she stated that, "Yes, I can. I've been judged my entire life. I am an Asian woman in a white Caucasian society. I am Chinese, and I have been judged all my life."
Juror #6012 was the highlight of the day. Tagged the "Valley Girl," this gal is an early 20s, grades 9-12 school teacher who stated she would quit her job to serve on the jury. This gal engaged in the most dialogue of any juror to date. When asked a question, her verbose answers were peppered with "like" and "you know" reflecting a throwback to Moon Unit Zappa's song, "Valley Girl." The gal stated that she sought to either further her education, join Police Academy, become a firefighter, or go to cosmetology school, and is still undecided about her direction of her future. The courtroom erupted in laughter during Geragos' explanation that the burden of proof is on the prosecution and not on the defense, and that he, Geragos, would not have to do anything at all, to which she stated, "If I were on trial and you were my lawyer (and you didn't do anything), I'd fire you." Court was adjourned for lunch, and in the hallway Geragos quipped that she'd be the perfect juror (Valley Girl) if he got his change of venue.
Jurors excused during voir dire:
#6075 - retired Caucasian man, excused because he eliminated Life without Parole.
#6265 - 50ish Asian man, an executive chef, excused for hardship (only
gets paid for 3 days of jury duty).
#6027 - excused when Geragos asked him if he's formed an opinion and if
he would expect the defense to prove Peterson is not guilty, to which he answered, "Yes."
# 757 - cute blonde - around her 40s - stated, "I think the defendant
is guilty, but I don't have all the facts."
Jurors excused by stipulation (without undergoing voir dire):
#4685 - excused for language problem and hardship
#6024 - opposed death penalty, even though this potential juror had no preconceived ideas about the case and could follow judicial orders.
#6029 - supports the death penalty, but has formed an opinion of guilt because, "Scott had no feelings about his missing wife," and, "Scott tried to leave the country." This juror is also Costa Rican and has a language problem.
#6193 - formed an opinion - stated in the questionnaire, "Your client is guilty," placing the burden of proof on the defense.
#6040 - stated, "The man is guilty," and also stated he cannot be a fair juror, and that Life without Parole is not an option.
#924 - is a small business owner and claimed financial hardship after
reviewing his records.
#5989 - stated, "Client is guilty," and, "There are no other suspects."
Greta
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