Libby Trial -- It's Going to Be a Hung Jury

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

That's how I read MSNBC's David Shuster email, posted on Firedoglake

When the jurors came in 45 minutes ago for the final evidence presented in this case, 13 of the 14 juros (12 jurors and 2 alternates) were wearing bright red t-shirts with a large white heart on the front. The shirts appeared to be new… The one juror not wearing a red shirt was an elderly woman who works as an art curator. A man on the jury, who is a retired school teacher originally from north carolina, then read a statement to the court. The man said the jury wanted to "thank the clerks, marshalls, and judge for all of the accomodations made" for the jury during this trial. The juror then said the entire jury understands their responsibilities in this case and that their "unanimity may now go no further." "But on behalf of the jury," said this man, "we want to wish everybody a Happy Valentine's day."

To say this moment was awkward would be an understatement. All of the attorneys, and the judge, appeared on the edge of their seats. At the conclusion of the juror's statement, the attorneys nervously and politely clapped…and the judge sheepishly thanked the panel for being "a very attentive jury." Then, the judge moved on…

What does it mean that one juror, who seemed particularly cantankerous during jury selection, refused to go along with the rest and wear the bright red t-shirt? Could it be that she is the only one on the panel with any sartorial taste? Or does it mean something more serious for jury deliberations next week? The issue was noted by attorneys on both sides of the case outside in the hallway.

http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/02/14/7242/#comments

[SharonRB]

1. This is a ridiculous theory

There are a million and one possible reasons why she didn't wear the shirt. Read the comments on the thread.

[Patsy Stone]

15. Sometimes

a t-shirt is just a t-shirt.

:hi:

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

2. Reminds Me Of The Sopranos

There was an episode where one of the mob members confronted someone on Junior's Grand Jury. He ended up being the only member to vote for acquittal, thus hanging the jury.

At the end, when he was making nice with the other jury members, they wanted nothing to do with him.

[Howardx]

3. that would righteously suck

n/t

[Tin Man]

4. (fingers to temples) I'm reading the Tea Leaves, errr.. reading the Tee Shirts.

[blogslut]

5. Maybe she just didn't like the t-shirt

As they say: "The Jury is still out".

I myself, predict a guilty verdict on at least one count.

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

14. I certainly hope

that you're right.

[Turbineguy]

6. Not going along with the fashion statement?

Means nothing in my view. I would be that person. I don't like regimentation outside the military. I would never wear the company uniform either.

[AX10]

If that is the case, then I would never want to be on any jury.

You are going to single me out for the color of my shirt? :wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf:

[BuyingThyme]

7. This is America's chance to show we're not as stupid as we look.

I hope they don't let us down.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. I recoded the incident into the language of symbolic logic and fed it

into my back-propagating neural network program for recursive-approximation analysis, and have derived a tentative read on the meaning of the fact that one woman held out against wearing the red T-shirts. Here, without further ado, is the initial, tentative result of that analysis, expressed in a typeface reflective of the attained level of significance: It means nothing at all.

[robinlynne]

9. who cares about the tshirts. what did "their unanimity may now go no further"

mean?

[Jacobin]

10. You are right, and I think the answer to your question is obvious

Unfortunately

[robinlynne]

11. ok, I just figured it out...

[Tin Man]

12. It was a joke.. they were alluding to their upcoming deliberations...

...by contrasting their current unanimity (well, sorta) with their unknown future.

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

13. That's what I was focused on

not the t-shirts

I think I'll update this post by bolding that part, so people stop focusing on the t-shirts.

[Cerridwen]

16. An SOS? - "Help us, Judge. We can't get this

dipshit to agree!"

[librechik]

17. wait--they were RED shirts

therefore, they will all vote Republican--except for Miss Lefty Art Curator. It makes perfect sense!

[KharmaTrain]

18. That's Now What Goes On In A Jury Room

As one whose served as a Federal juror, the last thing these jurors want is a no-decision. Neither does the Prosecutor and especially the Judge. In the case I was involved in, no one had a clue what another person on that jury was thinking about the case until deliberations began. Some people on the jury became friendly, others kept to themselves. 14 very different people dealing with a job that they all took very seriously.

When we delibeated, I first thought we'd either end up with split decisions or a hung jury as there wasn't unamanimity in the first votes...but that's where the "magic" of the jury room goes to work. It now becomes the burden of those who vote one way to swing those who voted the other...the object is a unamimous decision and there's a pressure inside the room that is hard to explain but slowly transpired. Any and all questions were put out...all questions of the law were examined...transcripts were brought back for clarification and each vote came closer and closer until finally all were in agreement. The judge pushed this process along by reminding us to focus strictly on the charges, the law and the simple yes/no that each charge indicates. There's nothing personal here...it's strictly business and all the jurors in the case I was involved in saw it that way. Plus, we all wanted to get home and not have this thing drag on. The threat of being sequestered in a hotel for the weekend also moved things along.

Hopefully none of the jurors have talked about the case, thus no one knows who is going to vote until they are sealed away. If this jury works the way mine did, Scooter's in deep doo doo. Between the damning evidence Fitz rolled with that wasn't refuted by the defense, the demeanor of defense witnesses like Novakula (who is sure to make any juror's blood curdle), the games the defense team is playing and the lack of either Scooter or Shooter testifying...it appears that one case has been proven, one hasn't.

[DearAbby]

19. Could be for any reason

Maybe she is a Jehovah's witness, they don't celebrate holidays. Maybe being an older woman, she thought it childish. who knows. Reading too much into this.

[1monster]

20. I don't wear T-shirts, especially in public. Perhaps she doesn't

either?

[tinfoilinfor2005]

21. I see this as a no brainer.

"Unanimity may now go no further" was in reference to all but one of them wearing the Valentine's tee shirt. They were injecting a little fun in an otherwise stressful process. Juries notoriously are closed mouthed and don't give up their verdict before the actual checkered flag comes down.

[Mz Pip]

22. The jury hasn't

started deliberating yet. They don't discuss this case until they are ordered into deliberation by the judge.


Wouldn't take this too mean much of anything at this point.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Duer 157099]

23. There's a completely opposite interpretation

especially with the use of "..can go no further" -- I took that to mean that, up until the t-shirt incident, they were all united (so, with regards to Libby, they are all on the same page).

There are plenty of people who would just never wear a t-shirt in public, no matter what. I understand that. I think that's likely the case. Or, as someone pointed out, a Jehovah's Witness will also not do something that celebrates a holiday, so that's a possible explanation.

But, as far as the trial goes, I took it as very optimistic, that they were all of like mind.

[jsamuel]

24. is it me or is that wholy inappropriate