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Metropolis Reality Forums Ť Juror dismissed in Peterson trial ť

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   Juror dismissed in Peterson trial

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Topic: Juror dismissed in Peterson trial (Read 198 times)

lakelady
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Juror dismissed in Peterson trial
« on: Nov 9^th, 2004, 7:37pm »

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Juror dismissed in Peterson trial
Alternate added as jury begins deliberations anew
Tuesday, November 9, 2004 Posted: 7:46 PM EST (0046 GMT)

REDWOOD CITY, California (CNN) -- A juror was dismissed Tuesday from Scott Peterson's double-murder trial and has been replaced by an alternate, meaning the jury will have to start over from scratch.

The jurors had begun deliberations last Wednesday.

The court did not say why juror No. 7 -- an Asian woman in her 40s or 50s with blondish hair -- was dismissed.

The alternate who replaced her is a woman in her late 20s or early 30s with four children -- all of them boys.

Earlier Tuesday, sources close to the court told CNN a juror may have been carrying out independent research on the case. Such activity is forbidden because jurors are supposed to consider only the information they hear presented in court.

It was not clear whether that juror was No. 7.

Four alternates remain in the case. Another juror was replaced several months ago.

Peterson, 32, is accused of killing his wife and the couple's unborn son, Conner, on December 23 or 24, 2002, and dumping her body, weighted with homemade cement anchors, into San Francisco Bay.

The bodies washed ashore separately in April 2003, near where Peterson said he had launched his boat during a fishing trip the day his wife disappeared.

Monday, Judge Alfred Delucchi called the jury of six men and six women into the courtroom and asked them to set aside personal biases and reach a verdict. The order came after the panel showed signs of division and indications of deadlock.

Delucchi reread to the panel instructions he gave them when he initially put the case in their hands.

"The attitude and conduct of jurors at all times is very important," he said, reading off a list of juror expectations. "It is rarely helpful for a juror at the beginning of deliberations to express an emphatic opinion on the case."

Delucchi ordered the jurors Monday to return to deliberations. Peterson showed little emotion during the five-minute hearing.

Delucchi also told attorneys on both sides that the next time there is a potential problem with the jurors he is going to read them what is known as a "dynamite charge" -- further instructions on how to break a deadlock and reach a consensus. The dynamite charge is typically a last-ditch effort to avoid a mistrial.

If convicted of first-degree murder, to which he has pleaded not guilty, Peterson could be sentenced to death.

Jurors have the option of convicting him on the lesser charge of second-degree murder if they decide the slaying was not premeditated. A conviction on that charge could mean a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

The option of the lesser charge was a victory for prosecutors because evidence against Peterson was largely circumstantial, and undecided jurors might have an easier time returning a second-degree conviction.

Gag order applies
Under the judge's gag order, the former juror is not allowed to speak publicly about the case for the duration of the deliberations.

An employee of Pacific Gas and Electric, the dismissed woman said in jury questioning that she followed the case "moderately" before being called for jury duty and acknowledged that she was puzzled about a motive, according to CourtTV.com. She described herself as a "crusader."

Her replacement, who was not wearing a wedding ring, said during jury questioning that her partner would have to pay her bills if she were selected.

She added that she would have to leave her job at a bank if she were selected and that her brother has a history of drug use and has been in and out of jail over the years. She said she could be a fair juror because she is a fair person.

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Rupey
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Re: Juror dismissed in Peterson trial
« Reply #1 on: Nov 9^th, 2004, 7:51pm »

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Oh man. I'm gonna puke if Scott Peterson gets acquitted of this crime. I just don't see how anyone else could have done it. Sadly, though, I know that there could've and should've been more evidence from the prosecution's side. Sad

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lakelady
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Re: Juror dismissed in Peterson trial
« Reply #2 on: Nov 9^th, 2004, 8:11pm »

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I'm with ya Rupey.

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Rupey
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Re: Juror dismissed in Peterson trial
« Reply #3 on: Nov 9^th, 2004, 9:23pm »

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Wanna track him down and serve up some Southern-style justice if he's acquitted, Lake?
Wink

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lakelady
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Re: Juror dismissed in Peterson trial
« Reply #4 on: Nov 10^th, 2004, 7:33am »

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Yeah. Who was that guy from Walking Tall?

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Rhune
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Re: Juror dismissed in Peterson trial
« Reply #5 on: Nov 10^th, 2004, 11:51am »

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It always kills me when a jury lets people go, that seem to be guilty, based on the limited evidence they received in court. I remember after OJ was set free, and no one could understand WHY, one of the jurors did an interview and talked about how half the stuff we saw, they never got to see in court, and that knowing what he knew now, he would have given a guilty verdict. I have to wonder, if Scott Peterson is set free, will the jurors be saying the same thing after they get out?

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Rhune
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Re: Juror dismissed in Peterson trial
« Reply #6 on: Nov 10^th, 2004, 12:58pm »

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From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 12:43 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: CNN Breaking News

-- The jury foreman deliberating in the Scott Peterson double murder case has been dismissed.

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Rhune
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Re: Juror dismissed in Peterson trial
« Reply #7 on: Nov 10^th, 2004, 12:58pm »

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That's a second juror...

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Rhune
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Re: Juror dismissed in Peterson trial
« Reply #8 on: Nov 10^th, 2004, 3:02pm »

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Jury foreman dismissed from Peterson case
Third juror to be taken off; deliberations must begin at square one
Wednesday, November 10, 2004 Posted: 3:04 PM EST (2004 GMT)

REDWOOD CITY, California (CNN) -- The second juror in two days -- a doctor and lawyer who was elected the panel's foreman -- was dismissed Wednesday from the double-murder trial of Scott Peterson and replaced by an alternate.

Judge Alfred Delucchi surprised court observers when he dismissed juror No. 5 only hours after the jury had resumed deliberations.

On Tuesday, juror No. 7, a woman from San Mateo County, California, was also taken off the jury and deliberations had started up again.

No explanation was given for dismissing the foreman. This is the third juror to have been taken off the case.

With the dismissal, jurors must start deliberations for the third time.

Referring to the reason the judge is taking certain jurors off, CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said: "The point is that the judge is determined to keep this thing moving and he's getting rid of jurors who are impediments."

Considering the months of time and effort put into the trial, Delucchi obviously wants to avoid declaring a mistrial, Toobin said.

Juror No. 5, who appears to be in his late 30s or early 40s, had been an alternate until June when Justin Falconer became the first juror to be dismissed from the panel.

The foreman was a practicing physician for two years before going to law school. He took more notes than any of his colleagues on the jury, carrying a stack of about 12 spiral-bound memo pads into the deliberation room.

Juror No. 6, a man in his 30s, will become the new foreman. He's a firefighter and a paramedic and is skeptical of media reports, according to CourtTV.com. His fire captain told him Peterson was innocent but he said he could disregard that opinion in the jury box.

Three alternates remain in the case.

Sources close to the trial identified the woman who was dismissed Tuesday as Fran Gorman, a woman in her 40s who works as an auditor at Pacific Gas and Electric.

No explanation was given for her dismissal either, but sources said she was accused of conducting independent research -- conduct that is forbidden. Jurors are supposed to consider only the information they hear presented in court.

Gorman said in jury questioning that she had followed the case "moderately" before being called for jury duty and acknowledged that she was puzzled about a motive, according to CourtTV.com. She described herself as a "crusader."

Under the judge's gag order, Gorman and juror No. 5 are not allowed to speak publicly about the case for the duration of the deliberations.

Jurors began initial deliberations last Wednesday. They are charged with deciding whether Peterson killed his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son.

The alternate who replaced juror No. 7 is a woman in her late 20s or early 30s.

The alternate is a bank employee with four children, all of them boys. She has cried several times during the trial, including once when she saw the autopsy photographs and another time during a taped interview between Peterson and a reporter.

Legal analysts say she is a colorful character who expresses herself through fashion statements. She has nine tattoos.

Such independence, they say, is not usually good for the prosecution.

"This woman looks like a very individual kind of person ... as a prosecutor you don't want people to stand out," said analyst Jim Hammer, a former prosecutor.

Tuesday marked the second day in a row Delucchi has summoned jurors.

On Monday, he reread instructions about putting aside personal biases to reach a verdict. On Tuesday, he told the panel of six men and six women to decide the case from the facts and the law -- "and no other source."

"The fact that he reiterated it sends us a little bit of a signal that perhaps there was an improper source at play in the deliberations," legal analyst Chuck Smith said.

After dismissing Gorman, Delucchi told the jury to return to deliberations and to "keep in touch." A couple hours later, the jury adjourned for the day.

Peterson is accused of killing his wife on December 23 or 24, 2002, and dumping her body, weighted with homemade cement anchors, into San Francisco Bay.

The bodies washed ashore separately in April 2003, near where Peterson said he had launched his boat during a fishing trip the day his wife disappeared.

If convicted of first-degree murder, to which he has pleaded not guilty, Peterson could be sentenced to death.

Jurors have the option of convicting him on the lesser charge of second-degree murder if they decide the slaying was not premeditated. A conviction on that charge could mean a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

The option of the lesser charge was a victory for prosecutors because evidence against Peterson was largely circumstantial, and undecided jurors might have an easier time returning a second-degree conviction.

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Rhune
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Re: Juror dismissed in Peterson trial
« Reply #9 on: Nov 10^th, 2004, 3:02pm »

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Hmm...if the judge is throwing off any jurors that are dissenting in the jury, doesn't that seem like tampering?

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AoM
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Re: Juror dismissed in Peterson trial
« Reply #10 on: Nov 12^th, 2004, 2:52pm »

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I don't think he's throwing off dissenting jurors.

The first one had down outside research, which was prohibited. I don't know what this guy did, but maybe there was a family emergency or something

But they have a verdict

What will it be? I was hoping for a hung jury so they could retry the ******* when they have more evidence

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Rhune
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Re: Juror dismissed in Peterson trial
« Reply #11 on: Nov 12^th, 2004, 3:24pm »

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-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 3:13 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: CNN Breaking News

-- A California jury finds Scott Peterson guilty of the slaying of his wife, Laci, and their unborn child.

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