GUILTY NC - Kathy Taft, 62, Raleigh, 6 March 2010 - #6

Madeleine74 said:

Can't believe they didn't get 4 alternates, as they do in other cases. Talk about leaving themselves exposed. :banghead:

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Agreed--I'm sure they were worried the 12 jurors they had were going to start dropping like flies while they tried to seat further alternates. The comment about some jurors being more attentive than others was very worrisome also. Not good.

NCB said:

Agreed--I'm sure they were worried the 12 jurors they had were going to start dropping like flies while they tried to seat further alternates. The comment about some jurors being more attentive than others was very worrisome also. Not good.

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I noticed a few jurors in the JY trial not being as attentive as others. One alternate in the back would never take notes and, on a couple occasions I saw, was picking his nose. (yes, seriously). One older gent in the front would kind of zone out too. I think it's pretty common nowadays. We live in a culture where people can only absorb an average Twitter length message.

Madeleine74 said:

I noticed a few jurors in the JY trial not being as attentive as others. One alternate in the back would never take notes and, on a couple occasions I saw, was picking his nose. (yes, seriously). One older gent in the front would kind of zone out too. I think it's pretty common nowadays. We live in a culture where people can only absorb an average Twitter length message.

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That's very disappointing to hear. I didn't attend any of JY trial, so I missed out on that jury. I guess I'm not surprised--a bit grossed out (nose picking, seriously?), but not surprised. I didn't have much of an opportunity to observe the BC jurors because on my first or second day, the whole thing drama about them being stared at cropped up.

Madeleine74 said:

Can't believe they didn't get 4 alternates, as they do in other cases. Talk about leaving themselves exposed. :banghead:

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Hi, Mad74 - :seeya:- IIRC, they initially went with 3 alternates -- I guess b/c it had taken so long to get the 15 jurors, they decided to press on with the trial -- then, just before the 1st day of the trial, they lost one -- but we never found out how/why... I feel sure that Gessner didn't make this 3-alternates-only jury decision by himself... I nearly went nuts when on the 1st day, JG said, "All 14 jurors are in the courtroom....." Ack....:banghead:

I am willing to bet that if this same thing happens to this juror again, she will be a goner....

I also remember in one trial that was streamed from this courtroom, they had to dismiss one juror because her arranged ride downtown to the courtroom fell apart -- was this in Cooper?

Re DH - It sounds like she must have had a pretty bad fall -- I think they said she was still in the hospital... but it also sounds like we will hear from her one way or the other. Buddy Conner didn't seem to mind if the PT shows a taped interview. I think the DT is looking at DH as fair game, which she is, but I think she may be a bit delicate (seriously)... I guess time will tell, as long as we have 12 human bodies in the jury box.

NCB said:

That's very disappointing to hear. I didn't attend any of JY trial, so I missed out on that jury. I guess I'm not surprised--a bit grossed out (nose picking, seriously?), but not surprised. I didn't have much of an opportunity to observe the BC jurors because on my first or second day, the whole thing drama about them being stared at cropped up.

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I took solace in the fact that in both cases the juries worked together and came to a unanimous verdict. And nose-picking alternate in the JY case stayed an alternate.

The jury has to sit there through what can be tedious days of testimony. This is not a "who done it" murder mystery. The jury knows JW did it. But still the details have to be slogged through in court to get it all on record. I'd be surprised if there weren't one or two zoning out.

Well this doesn't bode well, does it. Did the judge say what kind of childcare issues? I mean is this an infant or toddler who needs care daily or a sick kid home from school, I wonder? And only two alternates.

Hi everyone :wave: ---I see we are closed for the day. I hope the baby/toddler/child gets better soon. It's a shame that the courts do not provide child care as part of one being a juror... it does put a lot of stress on people's time and cash, eh?

gracielee said:

Well this doesn't bode well, does it. Did the judge say what kind of childcare issues? I mean is this an infant or toddler who needs care daily or a sick kid home from school, I wonder? And only two alternates.

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You would think this kind of possibility would have been explored before the juror was selected.

Prancy said:

Thanks to all for the alternate links for the live feed. I will check them out. What's going on this morning? I didn't see any feed that was up.

REF. seeing the def. in my neighborhood. No, I don't recall, HOWEVER, the number of times before an arrest in the case, I would stand in line at the grocery stores in the area, (I'm omitting their names) and think to myself, that killer could be in line with me. I was always wondering if he was nearby....and he WAS. That is what is so horrifying. He was in our neighborhood acting like any other person.

Did any of you come to this site the evening after the def's arrest? There were many posts on here for You Tube videos of the def. singing and playing his guitar. He used to play in a band around town. I can't recall their name. There was even one of him sitting on a couch with a couple of friends, singing and playing music, joking around, etc. By midnight that night, all of them had been taken down. Watching those videos of him singing and playing his guitar was quite surreal. I wonder if the state will use them to show that he seemed like a pretty normal guy in that respect.

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bbm

Ooooh, Prancy - That's a great tactic! -- I hope the PT is planning on doing just that. I remember some of those clips -- he was lead singer in a couple of them, it seemed to me; and he did look like a regular guy just playing in a band, having a good time. I asked the couple of bassists I knew if they knew him & neither did -- the generation gap rears its ugly head! He had also written some of the lyrics, and they were pretty weird, but that's just the old g-gap again, I think...

And your thoughts about standing in the grocery store lines.... just eerie & scary. And you probably never will catch up on the sleep you lost...

The only tidbit of info I got from it, glee, was that JG said that the father was the one who would come over & stay with the child. I did not hear why he did not come today, so it sounds to me as if the child is too young to be at home alone... but I could be quite wrong.... if that's possible :what:

I felt the judge was out of line saying what he said in court today. He should have shared those feelings with the attorneys outside of the public earshot.

So the juror calls in (that's if she did call in vs. them having to chase her down) with a sick child on a Monday (part of that Monday/Friday absence pattern maybe?). You'd think in their 100 page questionnaire they would ask, among all the other things, whether you have back up plans (plural) for your child and elder care responsibilities, especially for a death penalty, long session trial such as this. I have a feeling, based on nothing except gut feeling, that this juror is going to be a problem. And if this is a case of unusual extending circumstances, I will gladly eat crow.

But the judge shouldn't have said what he said in open court. I hope he hasn't compromised this trial.

Is there any way they could stop, back up, get 3 new alternate jurors, and then start over? I'm serious.

And with DH in the hospital (she has to be a key witness), doesn't that compromise this trial if they only use her video? Isn't that a 6th or 14th amendment (right to confront the witness) issue?

Happy Monday y'all!

seattlechiquita said:

Hi everyone :wave: ---I see we are closed for the day. I hope the baby/toddler/child gets better soon. It's a shame that the courts do not provide child care as part of one being a juror... it does put a lot of stress on people's time and cash, eh?

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Good point, Coffeelandian -- if childcare were provided (and boy, would that be a PITA to arrange since I'm sure Wake County would want to contract it out due to liability), it would also allow more citizens to be on jury duty. Don't see it happening, but it would indeed be a good thing.

Why do things that are so simple turn out to be so complicated?:waitasec:

Sorry to hear about DH's troubles. However, I am sure the proceedings would be a terrible addition to her burden. I am taking today to go over all the videotapes that I missed over the past few days. Childcare issues are a true problem, whoever suggested a daycare center for juror's kids....that's a great idea! It would surely improve on the number of available jurors. Re: the defendant, I am inclined to believe that he may have been in the house before....perhaps knew the owner left on trips occasionally, so was comfortable there, until he found he was not alone. Looking at him in the courtroom, I wonder what he is doing, I have not seen him look up at all. Mental issues aside, drugs and alcohol seem to always be a component in violent crime, don't they? Be that as it may, even if I was plastered, I'm not sure I would commit a violent crime.

Part of my own particular craziness: I love to hear the endless recitation of details regarding the evidence collection and picture identification. Somehow this endless listing of the facts comforts me. I am sure a lot of people, jurors included, find this part of the trial tedious and boring....but I am pretty rivited. Anyone else out there feel this way?

The judge has to put everything on the record, including comments he makes about jurors. Now, if he is having an issue with a juror and their conduct, he should address that directly with the juror, though it would still go on the court record with the court reporter taking down every word.

The camera being on and capturing the comment makes it a bit stickier, but it's not illegal. Tacky, yes perhaps.

Here is WRAL's recap of the day:


http://www.wral.com/specialreports/kathy_taft/story/11123504/

ETA -
And WTVD's video:

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=8670588


I hope, for many reasons, the woman is able to be in the jury room at 9:30 sharp tomorrow morning....

laces said:

Sorry to hear about DH's troubles. However, I am sure the proceedings would be a terrible addition to her burden. I am taking today to go over all the videotapes that I missed over the past few days. Childcare issues are a true problem, whoever suggested a daycare center for juror's kids....that's a great idea! It would surely improve on the number of available jurors. Re: the defendant, I am inclined to believe that he may have been in the house before....perhaps knew the owner left on trips occasionally, so was comfortable there, until he found he was not alone. Looking at him in the courtroom, I wonder what he is doing, I have not seen him look up at all. Mental issues aside, drugs and alcohol seem to always be a component in violent crime, don't they? Be that as it may, even if I was plastered, I'm not sure I would commit a violent crime.

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I agree that being on the witness stand would probably put DH in knots, but she has GOT to do this for her sister and for the whole Kathy-related family.

I can see why the PT wanted to call her first -- it would have been a great scene-setter -- the two sisters, meeting -- probably on Thursday so they would have some time to spend together & so that they would have an easy Friday morning with getting organized & going over to Durham. Then all the little innocent and comfortable-feeling events of DH getting KT back to the house, getting her settled and so forth. And then whatever she did to check on KT that night, and then, her world falling apart the next morning. Oh, that would win the jury over and probably draw some tears... What that monster did to all of them.

I wonder how long she will be laid-up.... There's always wheelchairs if it's a leg or a hip -- poor thing.


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Part of my own particular craziness: I love to hear the endless recitation of details regarding the evidence collection and picture identification. Somehow this endless listing of the facts comforts me. I am sure a lot of people, jurors included, find this part of the trial tedious and boring....but I am pretty rivited. Anyone else out there feel this way?

I am the same way, too, laces. When I am fairly to very sure of the defendant's guilt, I love to hear the litany of the standard things they have to do -- yes, it's tedious with chain of custody, etc., but that's how it has to be done. How the house is laid-out, if it happened that way; the 911 call ("daddy did it" is the prize-winner so far and by far !!); the finding of "invisible" blood or other fluids; the autopsy; how the spent bullets match the weapon, and on & on...

It comforts me, too, laces and it pumps me up -- I find myself saying "yes, yes," or "hah!" when another nail is hammered in the coffin of the Guilty box of goodies...

Are we that close to the edge? :what: Nahhhhh. :yesss::yesss:

I'm still worried about the sister's testimony. The defense does not have to give her a tough cross, but if they do, I hate to think what might happen. What if she varies from her story on direct? It makes me very nervous.

:websleuther:
Let's keep our fingers crossed that the Judge :gavel:will count 14 jurors this morning!!

And Good Morning!!:seeya:



http://www.wral.com/specialreports/k.../#/vid11099775



ETA:


http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/livenow?id=8663639

Oh no! More problems this morning? I didn't catch it all--just that he (JS) didn't anticipate any more jurors showing up this morning? Did anyone hear it all? Sheesh!!