Fitzgerald fights to keep Bush critics in Libby jury pool

[Kadie]

Fitzgerald fights to keep Bush critics in Libby jury pool
Updated 1/18/2007 11:22 AM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) — Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald pushed back Thursday against defense attorneys who have been weeding Bush administration critics out of the jury pool in the perjury trial of former White House aide "Scooter" Libby.

"The jury will not be asked to render a verdict on the war or what they think of the war," Fitzgerald said Thursday at the onset of the third day of jury selection.

Jury selection has taken longer than expected, in part because attorneys for I. Lewis Libby have grilled potential jurors on their political views. Though several Bush administration critics made it into the potential jury pool, attorneys have successfully disqualified the harshest Bush opponents who said they could not be impartial.

snip...
Fitzgerald and defense attorneys spent more than 15 minutes Thursday morning arguing privately with U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton over whether to dismiss one potential juror, a management consultant. She said her feelings about the administration could spill over into the trial.

"My personal feeling is the Iraq war was a tremendous, terrible mistake. It's quite a horrendous thing," she said. "Whether any one person or the administration is responsible for that is quite a complex question."

The woman was ultimately dismissed but Fitzgerald's fight to keep her was his strongest effort yet during the politically charged hearings.

more...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-01-18-libby_x.htm?csp=34

[AndyA]

1. It's got to be next to impossible to find jurors who approve of the Bush Administration.

On the other hand, I'm sure Libby's defense attorneys would be quite happy to seat a bunch of Kool-Aid drinkers on the jury. Hypocrits.

They need to face the fact that George W. Bush will go down in history as a HUGE MISTAKE, and the worst President in history. That's just a fact.

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. How can it be legal to ask about political views?

Better yet, given the huge pressure being put on critics to remain silent, can't potential jurers refuse to answer on the grounds that they might be prosecuted by the Administration for their answers?

[Catherine Vincent]

3. Keep up the fight Fitzie!

Imo, if they are so concerned about keeping the Bush/Cheney haters off the case, then keep the Bush/Cheney lovers off also.

[Kerrytravelers]

4. In fairness, if someone can't be impartial, then they shouldn't be on the jury. However, how is

asking everyone's political opinions legal, either?

I'm not sure how impartial I could be. However, I'd like to think that I am capable of listening to the evidence and being fair to another human being. Perhaps the defense attorney knows that it would be impossible for a kool-aid drinker to be impartial so they just assume that anyone not drinking their kool-aid is just as brain-dead for the opposition. Not true, but I don't expect anyone of their team to have must respect for others people, anyway.

[SoCalDem]

5. The "Yoo-niter" has polarized us all so much, it might be impossible

Remember, we are a 50-50, black-white, good-evil, fer-us, agin'-us nation now. Getting a jury that will not be against Bush-buddies is tantamount to getting one that IS for his pals.

Especially in DC. HOW would they ever find a jury that is not on a "side"..

I think we should import juries from Newfoundland or maybe Borneo forest people could be imported for jury duty.

It's hard to find ANY person on earth that is not "for or against" the Bush Inc gang.