Il giudice avverte: carcere per chi non rispetta le regole

szwaby82 Inviato: 09 Set 2011 02:41 pm

Jurors warned to keep mum about trial of Michael Jackson's doctor

Los Angeles (CNN) -- The judge warned potential jurors Thursday in the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor they could face jail if they violate his order not to talk to anyone about the case, including with "telepathic communication."

The search began Thursday for 18 Los Angeles County citizens who can put aside what they've heard about the pop star's death so they can sit in judgment of Dr. Conrad Murray, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter.

"Disobedience will not be tolerated. It can undermine our system of justice," Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor told the potential jurors. "Violation of my orders can lead to an unjust verdict, a mistrial, emotional turmoil and distress."

Pastor's order also bans jurors from researching the case online, or using a dictionary or the Bible, he said.

"Things on the Internet can be inaccurate and misleading," Pastor said. "We have this need today to share information with 750 million other people we don't even know. We don't know their agenda or the truth of what they say on the Internet."

When the judge asked for a show of hands from anyone who has not heard of the case, no hands were raised.

In all, up to 450 potential jurors will report to the courthouse in downtown Los Angeles between Thursday and Monday for the selection process in the trial.

When Murray was introduced to the first group of 160 potential jurors Thursday, he stood up and said "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen." Many of them responded in unison, "Good morning."

Pastor's first task is to decide who in the pool of potential jurors likely would not endure the duration of the trial. While the 12 jurors and six alternates will be allowed to return home after court each day, the five weeks or more of testimony can take a toll on their finances and families.

For a hardship to cause someone to be dismissed it "must be extreme," the judge said.

Those who are kept are being given about 30 pages of questions to determine if they are qualified to be on the jury.

They will return September 23 for face-to-face questioning by lawyers as the final list of jurors is chosen.

Opening statements for the trial, which will be televised, are scheduled for September 27. The judge told the jury pool he expects their service will be over on or about October 28.

The last roadblock to the start of Murray's trial came Wednesday when a California appeals court rejected the defense's petition for a delay so that the issue of jury sequestration could be reconsidered.

Murray's lawyers had argued that Pastor had abused his discretion by rejecting a request that the jury be kept in a hotel for the duration of the trial.

They compared the upcoming trial to the recent coverage of the Casey Anthony murder trial in Florida and said Murray could not get a fair trial if the jury was not isolated from what they expect will be non-stop media coverage.

"Petition is denied in the absence in a showing of abuse of discretion," the brief appeals ruling said.

Meanwhile, evidence intended to prove Jackson could not have caused his own death might not be allowed in trial, Pastor said in a hearing Wednesday.

Murray's defense is built on the theory that Jackson drank propofol, the surgical anesthetic the coroner concluded killed him, while the doctor was away from his bedside on the morning of June 25, 2009.

Prosecutors want jurors to hear expert testimony based on a recent experiment conducted on six university students in Chile that they argue proves there is "zero possibility that the propofol was orally ingested."

Pastor raised questions about the experiment in a hearing Wednesday.

"I need more information about the underlying data since it is not a scientific published article," Pastor said. "I don't know the source of the information."

The judge will allow a prosecution expert to testify about a study on piglets conducted at a veterinary college in Norway, a report defense attorneys argued has nothing to do with how oral ingestion of propofol would affect a human being.

The study involved five piglets that "have propofol suppositories shoved up their rectums and they are watched to see if they went to sleep," defense attorney Michael Flanagan said. "The rectum is at the other end of the (gastrointestinal) system."

Prosecutors contend Murray, who was hired as Jackson's personal physician as the singer rehearsed for comeback concerts, used a makeshift IV drip to administer propofol intended to help Jackson sleep, a practice they argue violated the standard of care and led to the pop icon's death.


Il giudice avverte: carcere per chi non rispetta le regole

Los Angeles (CNN) - Il giudice ha avvertito giovedi i potenziali giurati nel processo al medico di Michael Jackson che potrebbero finire in galera se violano l'ordine di non parlare con nessuno sul caso, anche con la "comunicazione telepatica".

La ricerca di 18 cittadini della contea di Los Angeles che possano non tenere in considerazione quello che hanno già sentito sulla morte della pop star, in modo da poter fare i giurati per il Dr. Conrad Murray, che è accusato di omicidio colposo, è iniziata giovedì.

"La disobbedienza non sarà tollerata. Può minare il nostro sistema giudiziaro," ha detto il giudice della Corte Superiore della contea di Los Angeles County Michael Pastor ai potenziali giurati. "La violazione dei miei ordini può portare ad un verdetto ingiusto, un errore giudiziario, tumulto emotivo e angoscia."

Pastor ha anche vietato ai giurati fi fare ricerche online sul caso, o utilizzare addirittura un dizionario o la Bibbia, ha detto.

"Le cose su Internet possono essere imprecise e fuorvianti", ha detto Pastor. "Oggi abbiamo questo bisogno oggi di condividere le informazioni con 750 milioni di altre persone che non conosciamo nemmeno. Non conosciamo i loro programmi o la verità di ciò che dicono su Internet."

Quando il giudice ha chiesto di alzare la mano chi non aveva sentito parlare del caso, nessuna mano è stata alzata.

In tutto, fino a 450 potenziali giurati saranno nel Palazzo di giustizia nel centro di Los Angeles tra giovedì e lunedi per il processo di selezione.

Quando Murray è stato presentato al primo gruppo di 160 potenziali giurati giovedì si è alzato e ha detto "Buon giorno, signore e signori." Molti di loro hanno risposto all'unisono: "Buon giorno".

Il primo compito di Pastor è quello di decidere chi nel pool di potenziali giurati probabilmente non potrebbe affrontare tutta la durata del proceso. Mentre i 12 giurati e ai sei supplenti sarà permesso di tornare a casa dopo l'udienza ogni giorno, cinque settimane o più di testimonianze potrebbero gravare troppo sulle loro finanze e le loro famiglie.

A quelli selezionati verranno date circa 30 pagine di domande per determinare se sono qualificati per fare parte della giuria.

Torneranno il 23 settembre per un faccia a faccia con gli avvocati e la conseguente scelta definitiva dei giurati.

Le dichiarazioni di apertura del processo, che saranno trasmesse in tv, sono previste per il 27 settembre. Il giudice ha detto al pool di giurati che si aspetta che il loro servizio sarà finito intorno al 28 ottobre.


Fonte: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/09/08/california.conrad.murray.jurors/