Ferguson Jury - Mistrial Declared

**corktownyuppie** · June-20-12, 11:24 AM

Anyone know what's going on?

First, a juror had to leave, citing health reasons.
Second, an alternate juror who witnessed the entire trial replaced the first juror.
Third, Defense attorneys protested the new juror, apparently displeased that a jury that was likely swinging their way would now be disrupted.
Fourth, Prosecutors state that the defense attorneys complained all through jury selection process that there were not enough Blacks in the jury pool; the new juror is black. Why the protest?
Fifth, Jurors are asking the judge to explain seemingly simple concepts and repeat testimony....other jurors are frustrated and are rolling their eyes.

WTF?

**daddeeo** · June-20-12, 12:51 PM

Hopefully, jurors are doing their due diligence. I'm sure some jurors just want to give him a fair trial and then hang him. I hope they get it right.

**Hypestyles** · June-20-12, 12:58 PM

... we'll see what happens.. john edwards= free man; roger clemens= free man.. hmm, some high profile federal cases couldn't clinch it.. probably more pressure than ever for this group of jurors.. if this even hints at what's coming with the actual Kilpatrick[[s) trial, it's going to be a long, hot autumn...

**Wesley Mouch** · June-20-12, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

... we'll see what happens.. john edwards= free man; roger clemens= free man.. hmm, some high profile federal cases couldn't clinch it.. probably more pressure than ever for this group of jurors.. if this even hints at what's coming with the actual Kilpatrick[[s) trial, it's going to be a long, hot autumn...

We'll see if 'jury nullification' has a dark side.

**Motor City Sam** · June-22-12, 01:01 PM

Looks like they are at an impasse on some charges but in agreement on others. Interesting.

http://www.freep.com/article/2012062...text|FRONTPAGE

**Packman41** · June-22-12, 01:56 PM

Update: now the jury says they are deadlocked on some counts.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...text|FRONTPAGE

Looks like Bobby will walk for now.

No justice, No Peace

**bopcity** · June-22-12, 02:55 PM

Ferguson's got eight charges, the jurors have a decision on some of them. Wouldn't count on this guy walking anywhere.

**Motor City Sam** · June-22-12, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by bopcity

Ferguson's got eight charges, the jurors have a decision on some of them. Wouldn't count on this guy walking anywhere.

I tend to agree with that. I'd be shocked if they found him not guilty on the charges on which they all agree.

superduperman · June-23-12, 12:21 AM

What happened to the supposed slam dunk case?? Just a few weeks ago you all were singing the praises of this jury, now it seems you all don't have faith in them or the judicial system.

**UpTown** · June-26-12, 02:01 PM

HAHAHAAHAH....The system works. Pfft.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...text|FRONTPAGE

They couldn't even find him guilty of the gun charge? I guess the gun needed to be buried in his @ss for them to find him guilty of it.

**corktownyuppie** · June-26-12, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by UpTown

HAHAHAAHAH....The system works. Pfft.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...text|FRONTPAGE

They couldn't even find him guilty of the gun charge? I guess the gun needed to be buried in his @ss for them to find him guilty of it.

The fact they didn't find him guilty of the gun charge is atrocious. Some societies are ready for democracy. We aren't one of them.

superduperman · June-26-12, 10:17 PM

Its funny how those of us who aren't on the jury and haven't heard the governments case have judged him guilty on all counts, but those who are on the jury and have sat through the case and heard all of the governments evidence have their decision discounted.

**jtf1972** · June-26-12, 10:33 PM

Maybe he is innocent.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA...

Sorry, could only hold it in so long. A mistrial is what it is. All it takes is one idiot that says something like "his eyes looked innocent" or who suddenly has a new driveway and something to put in it.

Then again, perhaps all the evidence against him & Kwame was trumped up by the big, bad government to take down a couple of men who wanted nothing more than to act as humble servants of God.

**Meddle** · June-26-12, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by superduperman

but those who are on the jury and have sat through the case and heard all of the governments evidence have their decision discounted.

Ummmm, they didn't make a decision. That's why the Mistrial. Maybe the US Attorney didn't make the case clear enough for the jury to understand..

**firstandten** · June-26-12, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Ummmm, they didn't make a decision. That's why the Mistrial. Maybe the US Attorney didn't make the case clear enough for the jury to understand..

I tend to agree. There were statements to the effect that some of the jurors didn't understand the case. Maybe next time the US Attorney will conduct a class on contracts to the jury before the next trial.

**Brich** · June-26-12, 11:20 PM

Two jurors were dumb as a box of rocks i.e. lacking basic critical thinking skills i.e. not the sharpest tool in the shed, i.e. about as sharp as a bowling ball. I come to this conclusion having missed the trial, but hearing the jury questions blows my mind. They apparently were not there also.

**firstandten** · June-27-12, 12:33 AM

Even though I believe in the jury system, I think its a lot to ask some of the people who are selected to understand a case where there is a lot of financial shenanigans involved. I think it would cost less to educate the jury than to go thru a mis-trial

**Zacha341** · June-27-12, 06:40 AM

Ouch! No you did not go there - double dose... "new driveway and something to put in it." why what give you that idea? Not here! Things like that don't go on --

--!

Originally Posted by jtf1972

Maybe he is innocent.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA...

Sorry, could only hold it in so long. A mistrial is what it is. All it takes is one idiot that says something like "his eyes looked innocent" or who suddenly has a new driveway and something to put in it.

Then again, perhaps all the evidence against him & Kwame was trumped up by the big, bad government to take down a couple of men who wanted nothing more than to act as humble servants of God.

**corktownyuppie** · June-27-12, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by firstandten

Even though I believe in the jury system, I think its a lot to ask some of the people who are selected to understand a case where there is a lot of financial shenanigans involved. I think it would cost less to educate the jury than to go thru a mis-trial

Yeah, I agree with this. The questions jurors were asking were honestly extremely dumb. It would be similar to being in a computer programming class and having someone raise their hand and ask about how to turn the computer on.

I think this will be like the Blagojavich trial. Mistrial the first time. Then prosecution focuses on reducing the number of confusing charges and making their argument simple, simple, simple, and more simple.

And then more simple.

**Zacha341** · June-27-12, 06:54 AM

And if found guilty, FINALLY the orange suit [[replacing the designer duds) and a photo placement on the OTIS [[Offender Tracking Information System) site...

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

Yeah, I agree with this. The questions jurors were asking were honestly extremely dumb. It would be similar to being in a computer programming class and having someone raise their hand and ask about how to turn the computer on.

I think this will be like the Blagojavich trial. Mistrial the first time. Then prosecution focuses on reducing the number of confusing charges and making their argument simple, simple, simple, and more simple.

And then more simple.

**Motor City Sam** · June-27-12, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

And if found guilty, FINALLY the orange suit [[replacing the designer duds) and a photo placement on the OTIS [[Offender Tracking Information System) site...

It's a federal case. Unfortunately, he won't be on OTIS.

I have to admit I was wrong about this outcome. I didn't think the case was that complicated, but I probably follow stuff like this more than the average person does, and maybe it was too confusing for the jurors. Seemed pretty straightforward to me, though.

At the start of the trial I was thinking there was a 90% chance of conviction. Obviously I overestimated the government's case. Or maybe there was just that one juror who would not convict on anything, much like the first Sam Riddle trial.

**daddeeo** · June-27-12, 09:10 AM

Jury selection is key here. Too bad they can't give a IQ test to some of these guys. My wife still bemoans the attitude and moronic actions of folks on her fellow jury panel. I'm afraid the people get what they deserve in this city.

**Hamtragedy** · June-27-12, 09:23 AM

"What d'ya mean you can't write checks or make deposits for $10,000."

That law was put into effect after all the Young Boys were buying Jaguars and Mercedes with $25,000 in fives and tens.

**corktownyuppie** · June-27-12, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by Motor City Sam

It's a federal case. Unfortunately, he won't be on OTIS.

I have to admit I was wrong about this outcome. I didn't think the case was that complicated, but I probably follow stuff like this more than the average person does, and maybe it was too confusing for the jurors. Seemed pretty straightforward to me, though.

At the start of the trial I was thinking there was a 90% chance of conviction. Obviously I overestimated the government's case. Or maybe there was just that one juror who would not convict on anything, much like the first Sam Riddle trial.

I'm thinking that it was just too confusing. I'm looking at Blagojevich as the comparison. Hung jury. Re-trial. Instead of bombarding him with charges [[a la Jerry Sandusky), they slimmed down to a small handful and made them ridiculously simple to understand.

That said, this is why I hate the jury system...though admittedly I have no suggestions as to what would be better.

**Meddle** · June-27-12, 10:50 AM

Same thing with Edwards and a few others. The suits have to understand that the people on the street don't understand how economics and corruption really work. I'm kind of surprised it didn't happen with Madoff.

But then again, if they/we did, there wouldn't BE so much corruption.