Lay, Skilling Seek New Enron Trial Venue

[Beaverhausen]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060105/ap_on_bi_ge/enron_lay_and_skilling

HOUSTON - Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling say potential jurors' answers to questionnaires in their fraud and conspiracy case are so vitriolic the men can't get a fair trial in Houston.

Prospective jurors called Skilling a "high-class crook," who "would lie to his mother if it would further his cause." He "projects a high sleaze factor," he's a "thief," and "cheater," according to a filing Wednesday in which his lead attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, asked again to move the trial to another city.

The filing noted some of the potential jurors called Lay "the biggest lying crook of all," a "career Enron leader who conveniently looked the other way as his lieutenants bent and broke laws in pursuit of profits and ever greater stock prices" and "did a lot of injustice to a lot of good people."

"These are not the hasty responses of random people who participated in a test survey. These are actual responses from actual prospective jurors in this case who took time to carefully and thoughtfully write out their answers," Petrocelli said in the filing.

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[babylonsister]

1. This was on local news tonight; they've tried to change the

venue before with no success. I think they should be judged by a jury of their 'local' peers (not peers financially, as we know), the ones most affected by their criminality. Kharma!

[HuffleClaw]

6. they've already tried this ?

so what makes 'em think they'd succeed this time? this could be fodder for an appeal.

[SoCalDem]

2. I double-dog-dare them to have the trial in CA

:evilgrin:

[cascadiance]

3. He must want it in the Cayman Islands...

... to be close to home!

[roguevalley]

4. how about the sea of tranquility?

[Mithras61]

5. With all of the pub;licity that has surrounded the Enron* bankruptcy...

Do they REALLY, TRULY believe that there is a location IN THIS COUNTRY where a jury pool would be untainted with anger at them?

[Rebellious Republican]

7. Whats the matter Kenny Boy, thought you had a deal with the Devil.........

[bemildred]

8. May I suggest the Hague? nt

[Demeter]

9. Unfortunately, Holding the Trial on Mars Isn't Feasible

That's how far you'd have to go to find someone who hadn't heard about Enron.