CNN Breaking - One Juror Dismissed in Libby Case

[Frustratedlady]

A federal judge has dimissed a juror in the case against former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, The Associated Press reports.

I wonder what that's all about?

[meegbear]

1. From HuffingtonPost.com ...

A juror was dismissed from the trial of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on Monday after court officials learned she had been exposed to information about the case over the weekend.

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered the juror removed, saying "what she had exposure to obviously disqualifies her." The judge declined to say what information the juror had seen but characterized it as a misunderstanding. He has ordered jurors to avoid media coverage of the case.

Walton said the remaining jurors had not been tainted. He said he would allow deliberations to continue with 11 jurors rather than calling on one of two alternate jurors.

"They should continue with their deliberations and I will emphasize again the importance of not having contact with any outside information," Walton said.

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald asked that Walton call on one of two alternates, both women, who sat through the trial and are on standby. Walton said that would require deliberations to begin fresh and said he didn't want to "throw away two and a half days."

The woman who was dismissed from jury is an art history expert and scholar who formerly served as a curator of prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She was also the only juror who did not wear a red T-shirt as part of the jury's Valentine's Day greeting to the court.

Walton originally worried that she had tainted the jury pool and said he would question all jurors outside the courtroom. That raised the specter of a mistrial in the case. He emerged from behind closed doors to say the remaining jurors were deliberating conscientiously.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070226/cia-leak-trial

[Pab Sungenis]

2. Wanna bet she was the only holdout?

This is an open and shut case. She's probably a rabid Republican who's been blocking the inevitable conviction.

If the jury comes back quickly today, it's safe to bet that was the case.

[theboss]

3. That makes no sense

Seriously....none at all.

[robinlynne]

4. The judge cannot dismiss a juror for that reason.

[Pab Sungenis]

7. Not saying she was dismissed for that reason.

I believe the judge's reasons for cutting her loose, but she's been the iconoclast on the jury. This should have been done last week, and it's taking way too long. Something tells me she was either an idealogue or just being contrarian.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

14. I hope you are right

and are you going to have Mary comment on the discovery of a Jesus tomb/movie soon in The New Adventures of Queen Victoria (which every DUer should read every day)?

Edited to add-even tho there isn't a new one on Sunday, you can look at Saturday's twice.

[cmd]

5. I'm glad that was the one to go

I don't know how she would have decided, but the shirt thing made her a target.

[confludemocrat]

10. Not wearing a stupid valentines day red t-shirt gave her away as a rightie?

Come on.
I would think just the opposite. Not going along with something as grade-school infantile as that should have been a good sign.

[cmd]

13. You missed the point

and I didn't make it very well. The lady set herself apart from the others. When she did that, she became a target of suspicion. I have no idea if she was a righty or a lefty. I do know that if we ended up with a hung jury, she would be the one people would point to. I'm glad that if one of the jurors left, that it was her. That factor is removed. That's all.

[confludemocrat]

15. I gather she was simply found to have accessed media

when that's not allowed. Therefore, she's gone. Nothing in reality to do with a red t-shirt

[cmd]

16. Yes, I know the red shirt had nothing to do with it.

I just think it was better that that was the one who was out. I'll try to explain it again. If the jury came back with a 11-1 decision, everyone would immediately suspect that the hold out was the red shirt hold out. Now she is gone. If one of them had to leave, I'm glad it was she. Now we can stop kicking around the red shirt issue, which is really non issue to begin with.

[global1]

12. If 11 Jurors Come Back With A Guilty Verdict - Couldn't That Be Grounds For An Appeal.....

I thought a jury had to number 12.

[asjr]

6. I hope the judge knows what he is doing. I

am surprised something hasn't happened before now to mess up things.

[montanacowboy]

8. Female Juror was the one not wearing the T shirt

on Valentine day - elderly white female

Defense did not want to bring in other alternate juror because they showed hostility toward defense; prosecution wanted them brought on; judge says go with the 11

[MaineDem]

9. Here's the LBN link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2746224&mesg_id=2746224

[terisan]

11. I would dismiss the 11 jurors who wore the red t shirts for Valentine's Day

Their behavior was inappropriate for a criminal trial----or any trial.

I note that the defense is in favor of continuing with the 11 and not adding an alternate because the jury would have to restart deliberations. I think they like the the "group-think" and hearts message of the 11 and are expecting acquittal.- a Valentine's Day present to the defendant.