Results tagged “juryselection”

Should we sorry for these twelve people who are performing their civic duty? The Daily News reports on the twelve men and women who were selected to serve on the fourth racketeering trial for John Gotti Jr. —four women, eight men (five are black, the rest are white) who work for the USPS, a high school, and the clerk's office at NY Criminal Court. Not selected was a man who said he was warned "you'll get a bullet in the head" if he voted to convict Gotti. Federal Judge Kevin Castel was amused by one potential juror's response to the question, "How far did you go in school?"—he said, "To which the response was Buffalo."

John Gotti Jr., scion of the Gambino crime family and its alleged leaders, decided to greet potential jurors to his racketeering trial, "Good morning, I am John Gotti. Here I am again." It was a reference to how this is his fourth trial (the other three times ended in hung juries); the NY Post reports that while "Manhattan federal Judge P. Kevin Castel said that while Gotti's remark was 'undoubtedly innocent and made in the utmost of good faith,' it amounted to 'improper argument.'" Castel added it could have been misconduct. Of course, it might be a long jury selection process—many people are apparently afraid of the Teflon Don's son and associates—but Gotti is ready, with his "scholarly" glasses and note-taking.

The 29-page questionnaire responses handed back from potential jurors for the John Gotti Jr. trial proved one of two things—that New Yorkers are still terrified at the idea of having a mob hit put on them or that people will go to great lengths and have no restraints to their salty humor in attempting to get out of jury duty. The News collected some of the more choice quotes from those who don't want to get stuck on the federal prosecution case of Gotti Jr. on for years of Gambino-related criminal activity, including three gangland murders. Jurors who were asked their familiarity with Gotti said things like "his fat family members are murders (sic)," "people involved with John Gotti have mysteriously 'disappeared'," and even "my brother-in-law chose to 'turn states evidence' against (the elder) Gotti and is currently in witness protection." The best line came from a juror who told the courts that a long trial would be difficult since they suffer from hepatitis C and couldn't deal with the fact that "Gotti has blood on his hands."

Jury selection for the trial of legendary philanthropist Brooke Astor's only son starts today. Anthony Marshall, 85, oversaw his mother's estate and has been accused of swindling as well as mistreating his ailing mother. According to the Times, much of the case surrounds whether Astor was competent when she signed a 2004 codicil to her will, giving Marshall her estate; prosecutors will apparently cite a 2000 letter written by Marshall that "in which he told vivid anecdotes about her fragile mental state." The Post is excited for the trial (perhaps hoping for another "Bad Heir Day"), which is "expected be a two-month-long trial, which will be rich with boldface names and palace intrigue and focus a spotlight on Astor's painful final years." However, it's unclear how many boldface names will testify; a source told the Daily News, "David Rockefeller and Henry Kissinger want out of this whole matter. They are just not interested. They never expected it to go this far. It's Annette [de la Renta, Astor's friend] who is out for blood." Marshall, a former Marine, has called the charges against him a "malicious jihad."