GUILTY FL - Phoebe Jonchuck, 5, dropped from 60' bridge, St Petersburg, 8 Jan 2015

Oh that's sounds cool SeesSeas!

You will be our eyes & ears!
animated-smileys-occupations-035.gif
I like when one of "us" are in the court room. I was at Mario Garcia's trial in Auburn reporting on here! :) It was fun.

on jurors - how many women vs men - on the actual jury, and alternate breakdowns. AND your impressions of each one - if that doesn't break any rules here. :D
 
Oh that's sounds cool SeesSeas!

You will be our eyes & ears!
animated-smileys-occupations-035.gif
I like when one of "us" are in the court room. I was at Mario Garcia's trial in Auburn reporting on here! :) It was fun.

on jurors - how many women vs men - on the actual jury, and alternate breakdowns. AND your impressions of each one - if that doesn't break any rules here. :D
This is probably the only chance that I'll ever have to observe an Insanity Defense trial in person. It's just a few miles away and a quick drive to the courthouse.

Stetson University College of Law is nearby, so I do wonder how many law students might clog the courtroom. Perhaps they will only want to observe the defense portion.

I'll get a count of the actual 12 jurors in regard to men/women. Hopefully, it's obvious. o_O

I won't be attending every day, but hopefully a couple of days each week. A friend is joining me, and we'll plan to arrive early to get a seat. We will compare notes regarding our 'impressions' of jurors. I am generally on target with my impressions (intuition).
;)
 
Monday, March 25th:
*Trial set to begin (Day 1) (@ 1pm ET) – FL – Phoebe Jonchuck (5) (Jan. 18, 2015, St. Petersburg-thrown off 62’ bridge into Tampa Bay by her father) – *John Nicolas Jonchuck, Jr. (25/now 28) arrested & charged (1/18/15) with 1st degree murder, aggravated assault with a vehicle on LE officers & aggravated fleeing & eluding police. Plead not guilty by reason of insanity. Held without bond.
Jury trial begins 3/25/19. Jurors: 7 women & 9 men (12 jurors & 4 alternates). (Trial could take 4 weeks. General hours are going to be 9am until 7pm).
Jury Selection Day 1 (3/18/19) thru 5 (3/22/19) reference post #218 here:
FL - Phoebe Jonchuck, 5, dropped from 60' bridge, St Petersburg, 8 Jan 2015 *Arrest*

3/25/19 Day 1: Opening Statements begin.
 
The Trial of John Jonchuck, Day 6: Openings statements
March 25, 2019
It took all week, but they finally picked a jury: nine men and seven women.

With the tedious part over, the murder trial of John Jonchuck - accused of dropping his 5-year-old daughter, Phoebe, off a bridge in 2015 - can now begin. Opening statements are set for 1 p.m. today.

The prosecutors will go first. It’s their job to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Jonchuck is guilty of premeditated murder. Then the defense will go. Jonchuck’s attorneys have already said they will not contest that Jonchuck did it. However, they will argue he was insane at the time, and therefore should be found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Then the prosecution will begin calling witnesses.
[...]
 
The Trial of John Jonchuck, Day 6: Opening statements
JOSH (10:30 a.m.)
Good morning. Opening statements are set to begin this afternoon. Here’s some analysis on what we can expect:

The prosecution will likely focus on the facts of Phoebe’s death and the immediate aftermath. That means the scene on the bridge when Jonchuck dropped Phoebe in front of a St. Petersburg police officer, the pursuit down Interstate 75 to capture Jonchuck and the recovery of Phoebe’s body in Tampa Bay. It’s not necessarily to the state’s advantage to address insanity, except to remind jurors that the defense has the burden of proving Jonchuck was insane at the time.

The pursuit could prove to be critical. For the jury to find that Jonchuck is not guilty by reason of insanity, jurors will need to believe Jonchuck didn’t know what he was doing when he let his daughter go, or didn’t know it was wrong to do so. Fleeing from police could be construed as a sign he knew what he did was wrong.

The defense already said during jury selection last week that they do not plan to dispute Jonchuck was the man behind Phoebe’s death. The public defenders during their opening statements will likely shed light on Jonchuck’s erratic behavior in the weeks, days and hours before Phoebe’s death to try to establish that Jonchuck’s mental health had deteriorated in hopes the jury find him not guilty by reason of insanity.

Also, public defender Jane McNeill made sure prospective jurors understood that to convict Jonchuck of first-degree murder, the state has the burden of proving premeditation. It could be the defense will push for a lesser conviction. It sounds like they may say the jury should find Jonchuck not guilty, but if it does convict him, it should be for second-degree murder, not first-degree.
 
You are probably already there - take good notes! :D
We stayed for 3 hours, 1PM-4PM. There weren't many observers.
The news media writes about the audience:

https://www.tampabay.com/florida/2019/03/25/the-trial-of-john-jonchuck-day-6-openings-statements/

ZACK AND JOSH (4:38 p.m.)
Many of the observers have left the courtroom, only about five left. This is not Law and Order.

ZACK (1:19 p.m.)
Jonchuck is staring straight ahead at the bench, not looking over to the prosecutors as they speak. The courtroom is set up with the Doug Ellis and Paul Bolan, assistant state attorneys, at a table to the left, and Jonchuck to the right, seated next to public defenders Jessica Manuele, Greg Williams and Jane McNeill. There’s a deputy in green seated just over Jonchuck’s right shoulder. There are about eight people in the audience who are not members of the media, unclear their connection to the case at this point.
 
Here are some of the media comments about the jury today.
I agree with all perceptions, especially regarding the lady in red 'fidgeting'. It's the exact word I wrote in my notes.

https://www.tampabay.com/florida/2019/03/25/the-trial-of-john-jonchuck-day-6-openings-statements/

ZACK, CLAIRE AND JOSH (3:49 p.m.)
Vickers was about one car-length back when they stopped on top of the bridge.

The driver, he said, “began approaching me with something large in his hand.” Vickers, speaking in formal police language, says he drew his weapon, afraid Jonchuck might get violent. He remembers the driver saying, “You have no free will.”

He is not using Jonchuck’s name. For delivering such emotional, awful testimony, Vickers is speaking extraordinarily flatly, in neutral terms. This is all just establishing facts. Jonchuck does not appear to be in the same kind of distress as he was when the prosecution delivered its opening statement.

Vickers calls Phoebe “the child.” He says he thought she was 7 or 8 years old, with long brown hair.

“The lighting was kind of arid, it wasn’t super great, typical highway lighting,” Vickers says, describing a slight orange glow.

The jury seems to be paying close attention, looking quickly back and forth between Vickers, the state attorney and Jonchuck. Jonchuck watches Vickers.

“I was immediately concerned for the child, I advised what radio what happened,” he says.

“I heard a faint scream and a splash.”

CLAIRE (2:25 p.m.)
The defense doesn’t pull punches. Assistant Public Defender Jessica Manuele begins by saying what happened that night was tragic. Jonchuck took his daughter, whom he loved more than anybody in the world, and dropped her off of the side of the Dick Misener bridge.

“It didn’t make sense at the time. It doesn’t make sense today. It will never make sense. Because it is insanity.”

Manuele calls him Mr. Jonchuck. He’s a victim here. As a small child, from five years old, until age 14, he went to USF to get treatment for something to do with his psychiatric state, Manuele says. He had counseling and medications. But his family can’t tell you his diagnosis, who cared for him. It wasn’t the priority.

She’s pacing, hands knit. “From a very young age, John was treated as a hot potato.” From mom to dad, to uncles, to dad again, John gets “dumped.”

Same as earlier, jurors sit with straight faces. A few keep up the note-taking. Jonchuck is bouncing very slightly in his chair.

CLAIRE AND JOSH (1:52 p.m.)
Premeditation. The decision has to be present in the mind at the time of the killing, Bolan says, walking through the definition. At least three jurors are taking notes. One squints hard, leaning forward, before turning back to his notepad.

CLAIRE AND JOSH (1:45 p.m.)
Next, Bolan pivots to the Eckerd College students, who have a rescue team and were activated to look for Phoebe. They found her body, pulled her into their boat. The students met a fire department crew, and Vickers, who was on that boat, administered CPR. Phoebe was beyond help.

“It’s no use at this point. She is dead,” Bolan says. “She is cold to the touch. She’s not breathing. There’s no pulse. They never ever have any signs of life.”

The juror in red, who was fidgeting earlier, covers her mouth with her hand.

JOSH AND CLAIRE (1:40 p.m.)
All Vickers sees in the water is blackness, Bolan says. He never sees the girl.

He climbs down a ladder looking for Phoebe, shining his flashlight on the water from a catwalk below the bridge.

He radios what happened.

“At this point,” Bolan says, “police officers all over St. Petersburg know what just happened, that a man threw a child off the bridge.”

A few jurors are taking notes. One woman in red fidgets as Bolan walks through the details of Phoebe’s body lost in the water. Most are still, though, listening. Jonchuck’s hands are pulling down on his face as he sits, looking down.


CLAIRE, JOSH AND ZACK (1:37 p.m.)
Prosecutor Paul Bolan gives the opening statement for the prosecution. He starts by telling the jury the perspective of St. Petersburg police officer William “Drew” Vickers, who was on his way home Jan. 8, 2015, approaching the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, when he saw a white Chrysler PT Cruiser.

“He put in a long day, and he was going home his normal route,” Bolan says.

The prosecutor points at the witness stand. Vickers will be there soon. Bolan promises that Vickers will tell them about the gusting wind, the choppy waters. The white PT cruiser speeding wildly down the highway.

The jury listens. Some have their chins tilted back, appraising. One white-haired man listens with his hand on his chin.

Instead, Jonchuck lifted out a child.

“A 5-year-old, blonde-haired, little girl,” Bolan says. "Named Phoebe.”

Jonchuck turned, the prosecutor explained, and he let go of the little girl.

Vickers heard her scream. Then Jonchuck drove off.

Faces in the jury seats are impassive. They’re watching Bolan, who’s talking with his hands, pacing as he walks through the minutes of that night.

“He knows, not only that he committed this crime, but that an officer saw it. So he can’t wait.”


CLAIRE AND JOSH (1:25 p.m.)
Here comes the jury. At first glance, mostly white, mostly middle-aged or older. They take their seats in three rows at the left side of the courtroom and look around.
The jury is made up of nine men and seven women.
 
The Trial of John Jonchuck, Day 6: Watch the opening statements
CLAIRE AND JOSH (1:25 p.m.)
Here comes the jury. At first glance, mostly white, mostly middle-aged or older. They take their seats in three rows at the left side of the courtroom and look around.
The jury is made up of nine men and seven women.

My notes: Very attentive jury, thus far.

Breakdown of the 16 jurors:
Total jury - 9 men, 7 women
Regular jury - 8 men, 4 women
Alternates - 1 man, 3 women

Most are white, middle-aged or older. Exceptions to this are:
One regular juror is younger white female (30's)
One alternate juror is younger white female (30's)
One regular juror appears to be Indian male
One alternate juror appears to be Asian or Mexican male
 
Fla. Man Threw 5-Year-Old Daughter to Her Death — But Defense Claims He Was Insane at the Time

March 25, 2019

"Opening statements begin on Monday afternoon in the murder trial of a Florida dad who admitted to throwing his daughter off a bridge four years ago.

A jury of nine men and seven women will hear testimony that John Jonchuck dropped his 5-year-old daughter, Phoebe, to her death. Johnchuck has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity....

The trial is expected to last at least a week."

Fla. Man Threw 5-Year-Old Daughter to Her Death — But Defense Claims He Was Insane at the Time

150114-phoebe-jonchuck-killed-1815_84d03571dd692bfa3fc2246c4d436b55.jpg


Opening statements in the John Jonchuck murder trial, March 25, 2019.

 
John Jonchuck trial begins with competing narratives over vengeance and insanity
Prosecutors and defense attorneys lay out their cases in opening statements Monday, and the only witness to Phoebe’s death takes the stand.
March 25, 2019
LARGO — John Jonchuck held his head in his hands Monday as the prosecutor told the jury what a sole witness saw the night Jonchuck dropped his daughter, Phoebe, off a bridge.

St. Petersburg police officer William “Drew” Vickers had his gun drawn as he approached Jonchuck’s white Chrysler PT Cruiser. The officer, who had been driving home about midnight after his shift, didn’t know what would come next. But he anticipated a firefight.

On the bridge, Jonchuck reached into his car; Vickers yelled for his hands. Jonchuck emerged with the girl.
[...]
 
Tuesday, March 26th:
*Trial continues (Day 2) (@ 1pm ET) – FL – Phoebe Jonchuck (5) (Jan. 18, 2015, St. Petersburg-thrown off 62’ bridge into Tampa Bay by her father) – *John Nicolas Jonchuck, Jr. (25/now 28) arrested & charged (1/18/15) with 1st degree murder, aggravated assault with a vehicle on LE officers & aggravated fleeing & eluding police. Plead not guilty by reason of insanity. Held without bond.
Jury trial begins 3/25/19. Jurors: 4 women & 8 men (alternates: 1 man & 3 women). (Trial could take at least one week. General hours are going to be 9am until 7pm).
Jury Selection Day 1 (3/18/19) thru Day 5 (3/22/19) reference post #218 here:
FL - Phoebe Jonchuck, 5, dropped from 60' bridge, St Petersburg, 8 Jan 2015 *Arrest*
3/25/19 Day 1: Opening Statements given. State witness: St. Petersburg police officer William “Drew” Vickers.
 
Jurors can ask questions.

"About seven people are watching from the audience" but I'm not there today. I'll attend tomorrow. My neighbor wants to watch the Medical Examiner testimony. Yesterday in the hallway, I asked the prosecutor which day the ME was scheduled to testify and he said "Wednesday".


The Trial of John Jonchuck Day 7: Watch prosecutors establish their case

ZACK (9:30 a.m.)
Jurors are led in. Some carry water bottles as they sit and grab their notepads and pens.

Helinger asks if everyone followed by the rule to not expose themselves to news of the case.

“Yes,” they answer in unison.

She tells them if anyone has a question, to write it on a piece of paper, hand it to the deputy next to them, who will then hand it to her. Before the witness is off the stand, she says, she and the lawyers will conference to determine whether she can ask the question.

ZACK (9:25 a.m.)
That 15-minute pause is now up to about 25 minutes and the jury is still not in the courtroom.

Jonchuck is sitting alone at the defense table as attorneys conference with Helinger. Same deputy from yesterday is over his right shoulder.

About seven people are watching from the audience. A couple have notepads and at least one is another lawyer. Unclear what everyone’s connection is to the case.
 

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