Potential Padilla jurors show bias

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Potential Padilla jurors show bias

By CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press Writer
33 minutes ago

MIAMI - The searing memories of the Sept. 11 attacks are making it
difficult for dozens of potential jurors to set aside their opinions
in the terrorist support case against alleged al-Qaida operative
Jose Padilla.

One man said on a juror questionnaire that he believed Padilla and
his two co-defendants were guilty and cited only one reason: "9/11."

The infamous date of the al-Qaida suicide hijackings that killed
nearly 3,000 people is peppered throughout the more than 440
detailed questionnaires returned as of Thursday by potential jurors
for the trial of Padilla, Adham Amin Hassoun and Kifah Wael Jayyousi.
The jurors' names were not made public.

-snip-

Federal prosecutors and defense lawyers agreed Thursday to excuse
159 people who expressed such sentiments on the questionnaires or
had obvious hardships involving family or jobs. At a hearing, U.S.
District Judge Marcia Cooke decided one by one whether to keep or
remove nearly 100 others the two sides could not agree on.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070329/ap_on_re_us/padilla_terror_charges

[alarimer]

1. Most people are not capable of critical thinking and should not

serve on juries. They are too fucking stupid if they believe this shit about Padilla. No way is he going to get a fair trial.

[merwin]

4. Seems like the people on the Libby trial knew what they were doing.

[Hobarticus]

2. What, did they pick these people up at a bingo parlor?

I can't believe anyone outside of O'Reilly's GOP (grumpy old people) audience would think like that.

[bluestateguy]

3. Or maybe people don't want to be on a jury in a high profile case

A clever person can get out of jury duty by simply answering the questions in a way that starkly reveals one's biases. I know one person who got out of jury duty in a criminal case by making racist remarks during the jury selection process (the defendant was black). I don't condone it, but a lot of people are so desperate to not be on a jury that they will exaggerate their biases to get out of it.