| LACI & CONNER Pray for Justice |
| Three more potential jurors chosen
April 12, 2004 Three more people were chosen Monday morning as possible jurors in the Scott Peterson double-murder trial in Redwood City. WAS ORIGINALLY ALTERNATE #2, THEN ALTERNATE #1 AND BECAME JUROR #7 NICKNAMED "PINKY" AND "STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE" BY THE PRESS -This potential juror who qualified was a tall young woman with with waist-long magenta/purple hair with black roots and a large tatoo of a black man's face with the name "Michelle" underneath tattooed on her upper arm. She said she has four children, nine tattoos and a brother who has been in and out of prison. She also said she would not be paid for the duration of the trial, but that her partner could shoulder the financial burden if she served. The woman told the court that her mother works at a methadone clinic and her brother has served time in and out of prison for drug-related crimes. Despite her brother's record she said she would fairly consider both sides in the case. She told Geragos that she could believe Peterson is falsely accused if the evidence supported that theory. This woman currently works in banking. Initially this woman worked in the medical field, then pursued her passion for the law by gaining employment in a start-up law firm that folded. One day, while in the bank, she asked for a job, and got one! When questioned by Harris, for the prosecution, about questions # 81 (police tell the truth) and # 82 (police arrest too quickly in high profile cases), she replied, "Police are human beings. In every field, there is good and bad. There's good and bad and you have to have an open mind to everything." When asked by Geragos about exposure to publicity, this woman stated that she's not a big reader, that most of her information about this case came from TV, but since the questionnaire she has not read or watched anything about this case. When Geragos asked her if prior to the jury summons, had she ever expressed an opinion, she replied, "Anything I've said is not good." The woman then stated she could set the publicity and opinions aside. "I want to (set it aside). This case is very "out there." You have to listen to everything. This is somebody's life. I try my hardest to look at things from all areas. I'm not perfect but I try." Geragos then stated that perhaps she unduly identified with Police Officers, and warned her that during cross-examination, he (Geragos) will be extremely aggressive with them to ferret out the truth." She replied, "God, I hope so." Delucchi qualified her for the jury pool with no bjections from either the prosecution or defense. She was Juror 6756. ******************************* -The first was a young Hispanic woman who said her new police-officer husband had not formed an opinion on Peterson's guilt. Juror 7044 is a newlywed, newly employed and said she could set aside a co-worker's regular comments that Peterson is guilty. She also said her husband, a police officer, would not have any bearing on her deliberations in the case if she was selected to serve on the final jury panel. She told Geragos that her husband thought she would be disqualified because he is a police officer. But she said she would not have any problem voting not guilty. "I'm a fair person, and I'm open-minded," she said. "If he's not guilty, he's not guilty." *************************** -JUROR 7107 -A man with gray hair and a gray goatee said he has reserved judgment, despite the fact that people close to him think Peterson is guilty. The man accidentally left page 3 of the questionnaire blank, so Harris (prosecution) filled in the page during questioning. On question #82, "The Police are too quick to arrest a suspect in cases were there is a significant amount of publicity or pressure to find a perpetrator," the man answered, "strongly agree," because, "The public demands it. If everyone is on your back, you find a place to hang something." Harris went on to ask the man if the prosecution proved the 3 or 4 elements of the crime, then he (juror) would have to vote "Guilty," and the man answered, "Yes." Harris then stated that a notable omitted element would be "Cause of Death," and without "Cause of Death" could you still find him (Peterson) guilty, the man answered, "Yes." When Geragos reminded this man about the presumption of innocence, and that the burden of proof was on the prosecution, he replied, "That's why we are such a great nation. Every time justice is served, every time the system works, it enhances my protection as a citizen." When asked by Geragos if he would be stigmatized for voting "Not Guilty" he replied, "I'm a big boy. "There's a much more important issue at the table, here, guilt or innocence, a man's life ... I can live with my decision," he said. "Every trial, I believe, is my trial," "Every time the system works, every time someone has a trial of their peers, that enhances my protection as a citizen," said the man, who had previously served on two other juries. Juror 7107 is a supervisor in a government job who said there could be pressure on a police department to make a quick arrest in a high profile case. The man, who grew up in St. Paul, Minn., was raised a Catholic but is now a practicing Episcopalian, said he would judge the case based only on evidence presented in court. "I have no knowledge of the facts (in this case)," he said. He bore a strong resemblance to Laci Peterson's stepfather, Ron Grantski. ****************************** GRETA WIRE JURORS - WHO THEY ARE JURORS - THE FINAL TWELVE HOME INDEX LACI TRIAL NEWS SCOTT EVIDENCE-NEWS |
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