Judge in Zimmerman trial bans potential juror from courthouse

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Judge in Zimmerman trial bans potential juror from courthouse
June 14, 2013, 4:37 p.m.

SANFORD, Fla. — A potential juror for the George Zimmerman murder case was dismissed from consideration and ordered not to come back to the courthouse until the trial is over after he complained about the jury process outside the assembly room Friday.

Despite that, more than two dozen potential jurors interviewed individually by prosecutors and defense attorneys during the last week were told to return to a Florida courthouse next week for further questioning.

The dismissed juror — who described himself as a musician and painter — said he was concerned about losing his privacy. He pointed to the jury assembly room and said “Do they know what they're in for?” according to a report from the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.

He was given a trespass warning and told not to return until after the trial, which is expected to last two to four weeks after a jury is chosen. During questioning on Thursday, the judge asked him if he had posted on Facebook about the case and he replied yes. He was told he could leave the courtroom a short time later.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-zimmerman-jury-selection-20130614,0,1633798.story

[Ken Burch]

1. Of course, that's probably what the guy WANTED the judge to do.

After all, how many folks ever WANT to do jury duty?

[grok]

3. People with a chip on their shoulder.

In many ways, this trial reminds me of the film "Twelve Angry Men" about jury deliberation in a murder trial.

With one man "Henry Fonda" searching truth before deciding to condemn a young man with everybody else.

This guy so reminds me of the last holdout played by Lee J Cobb. Maybe Ed Begley is a better fit.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050083/

[24601]

11. The stories on this indicate he had already been dismissed from the jury pool and that he had not

been honest about his pre-trial leanings (as reflected by his facebook posts).

He is ordered away from the court so as not to contaminate any others in the jury pool and have to begin the process all over with a new pool.

He is free to post and speak to his hearts content, just not at the courthouse to avoid contact with those in the pool of people potentially deciding the case.

1. Jerk fails to be honest about his views on the case
2. The process finds him out and he is dismissed from the pool
3. He is kept from contaminating others

I don't see that his right to speak to anyone, anywhere about anything trumps denying the state and defendant an unbiased trial, opening up grounds for appeal before a jury is even seated.

[left on green only]

2. Wasn't it also reported......

.....that his comment to the judge was, "Please Don't Throw Me In The Briar Patch"?

[davidpdx]

4. The potential jury composition

Of the 29 candidates, 19 are white; six are black; two are Latino; one describes himself as mixed race; and one is Asian American. The potential jurors asked to return were overwhelmingly female and middle-aged.

There's good news and bad news. Not surprisingly the pool is predominantly white. The fact that they are overwhelmingly female middle-aged women (I'm taking overwhelmingly as more than 75%) could mean they have children which could help the prosecution. If I had to bet, between the jury and alternates (10 total) six whites, two Latinos, and two African-Americans.

[John2]

5. It could also

mean you have an overwhelmingly conservative jury. The defense has been taking their case to a Fox audience.

[davidpdx]

9. That's what I'm wondering

We'll have to wait and see I guess.

[okaawhatever]

6. Women are more likely to experience fear during a confrontation. Women are more likely to be

victims. It doesn't matter that in this case they're both men (well one a boy) they want a jury who will understand being scared and acting out of fear. I hope the women will consider the case as if another woman was involved. Someone of similar strength and size.

[FlaGranny]

7. I gotta say bullshit to that.

You've been watching too many horror movies or reading romance novels or something. Women are NOT more likely to experience fear. Fear is a personal issue, not a gender issue. In fact, in my experience, men are just as fearful. Women do not fight as much as men do, but that is not out of fear - we don't have a lot of testosterone firing aggression. We use our common sense to avoid danger, where possible, but when danger shows most of us know how to handle it.

P.S. True that women don't have as much physical strength and are more susceptible to being raped or being abused by their mates, but otherwise men are more often the targets of violence than women IMHO.

[davidpdx]

10. I think women would be more sympathetic to the victim

Trayvon was still a kid. My hope is they would see how outmatched he was not only in size, but the fact that Zimmerman had a gun.

But then again we know nothing about the background of any of the potential jurors so I'm purely speculating.

[24601]

12. I'll bet the state finds a way to dismiss the two Latinos.

[NutmegYankee]

8. How did the guy get a trespass warning?

He was there for the intended purpose, no? Sounds like negative action taken for speech.

[Tunkamerica]

14. It's a warning.

He'll get charged with trespassing if he returns.

[NutmegYankee]

15. Ok, I see what your saying.

I was approaching like a traffic warning, where you could of gotten a ticket, but didn't.

[locks]

13. jury of our peers

I find the jury process in the US one of the most troubling practices in a democracy. The constitution does not spell out the meaning of peers; if we truly believe that we are created equal all our neighbors are our peers. It certainly does NOT say anyone called to duty can be preemptorily abolished from serving. It does NOT say the attorneys have the right to decide whether jurors might be prejudiced, or whether they cannot be objective because of their race, gender, political leanings, occupation, where they live, whether they have ever used marijuana, what they watch on TV, whether they have formed an opinion on the case, what they might have written on Facebook, how long they have lived in the US.
If you have looked at the questions potential jurors in a well-publicized murder case must answer you would find that they are not only a gross invasion of privacy but that only a tiny percentage of potential jurors (if they told the truth) could possibly pass and probably would be illiterate as well as brain dead.
The only exemptions from jury duty should be as limited as whether a potential juror is related to the defendant or when asked if he believes he can make a fair judgment after listening to all testimony, says "No."

[grok]

16. who ever decides the fate of another has to be VERY fair

that means also if are heavily inclined to side with the victim, are also wrong.

the law and all it pertains is all you have to follow. what are the legal definitions, what are the parameters for proof and are they met. if so, guilty! If not, innocent..