MA - Aaron Hernandez, New England Patriots player, charged with homicides #6

[turaj]

not sure but think the juror's Linkedin profile has been taken down. I may be wrong but looks that way

 

[Rocco]

not sure but think the juror's Linkedin profile has been taken down. I may be wrong but looks that way

Uh oh. Not good.

 

[turaj]

Uh oh. Not good.

if Sullivan and company do not start the day with something and/or judge does not do something I will be shocked. Given instructions are not even finished there is still time to at least start deliberations without a cloud over them.

 

[Rocco]

if Sullivan and company do not start the day with something and/or judge does not do something I will be shocked. Given instructions are not even finished there is still time to at least start deliberations without a cloud over them.

Can the juror show up and ask to be dismissed?

 

[turaj]

Can the juror show up and ask to be dismissed?

i think I would....in fact I would be sort of mad. All the time...a month or more having the judge tell you to not look left or right...not read social media/news etc. taking a bus to your car...not speaking about your jury duty to anyone...being assured you will not be on camera etc. and the judge publically announces your full name? Again if she is gone will we ever know if she asked or he or what...probably not but no one would I be willing to deliver a verdict in this trial especially a guilty with that parade of ****s and so much talk of guns/drugs/gangs in the courtroom. Even if per Ma. law it is okay for the judge to call them by name and it probably is this case is different due to media coverage.

 

[katydid23]

If he had second thoughts and felt it might be a problem, he had other options. He could have had a side bar with the attorneys and said " After further thought and to avoid any problems,I'm changing the way I usually deal with the selection of a foreperson in this case. I have decided to let the jurors pick a foreperson after the alternates have been selected" and then instruct the jurors of his decision. I don't think Mass. law requires judges to select the foreperson, I think it's an option.

Or----he could have selected another foreperson and announced that person's seat number (not name) at the end of his instructions.

The option he chose makes him look like and idiot and was a rotten thing to do to the female juror.

What if he doesn't correct this tomorrow morning?

I am not sure I agree with you. Why should he stand down to someone publicly labeling him with racial discrimination if it was not the case. Maybe he truly thought she was the best juror to be the foreperson. Should she NOT be able to do that job because she happens to be white?

If he met in sidebar and backed down, when he did not do anything wrong, that would set a very bad precedent in his relationship with the defense in this case. i would not have wanted to do that if I were him. It would embolden them to do even more stunts like that.

Why should he change the way he has always set up jury deliberation just because this defense team wants to grandstand and call it a racist move.

Apparently that is the standard way it is done in Mass trials. Totally fine to open a discussion about it for future trials. But pointing him out as a specific judge and accusing him of something nefarious is unfair, imo.

Again, is he the one that did a rotten thing to the female juror? Because I think the ones who treated her bad were the defense team who shamed her and berated her for being white and using her 'privilege' to become foreperson. When that was not the reason she was chosen at all.

 

[katydid23]

yes given that he announced this not in the presence of the jury and received immediate feedback from Sullivan it could have been seemless to just either pick someone else or let them pick...I doubt it is mandated that he pick the person...I think everyone would have been okay with that...if he really did this name on purpose what an awful way out. I have a feeling things are just going to proceed tomorrow morning without any word from him and if he does take action it may in fact be a result of the juror requesting a remedy.

So then are you saying that because she was white, she should automatically be excluded from consideration as foreperson? It seems that way, since the suggestion is that Sullivan's feedback was so important.

Did Sullivan even ask why she was chosen? What if the judge has basic criteria that he always uses and she fit the bill the best?

I just feel like it is a steep drop off a cliff once someone can be instantly removed from a position of leadership, if the ONLY reason given is that they are caucasian.

 

[Rocco]

I am not sure I agree with you. Why should he stand down to someone publicly labeling him with racial discrimination if it was not the case. Maybe he truly thought she was the best juror to be the foreperson. Should she NOT be able to do that job because she happens to be white?

If he met in sidebar and backed down, when he did not do anything wrong, that would set a very bad precedent in his relationship with the defense in this case. i would not have wanted to do that if I were him. It would embolden them to do even more stunts like that.

Why should he change the way he has always set up jury deliberation just because this defense team wants to grandstand and call it a racist move.

Apparently that is the standard way it is done in Mass trials. Totally fine to open a discussion about it for future trials. But pointing him out as a specific judge and accusing him of something nefarious is unfair, imo.

Again, is he the one that did a rotten thing to the female juror? Because I think the ones who treated her bad were the defense team who shamed her and berated her for being white and using her 'privilege' to become foreperson. When that was not the reason she was chosen at all.

Actually, I was fine with his choice----right up until he announced her name. If the speculation is that he did that on purpose to have a way out, I just think there were better ways out.

 

[katydid23]

Actually, I was fine with his choice----right up until he announced her name. If the speculation is that he did that on purpose to have a way out, I just think there were better ways out.

Maybe, but I cant think of many. I don't think it would have been wise to bow to the defense's demands because he would be saying what he did was coming from a racial place. And I don't think it was.

But Baez was never going to let go of that accusation. He'd have played that card out until the bitter end.

If the judge did this as a Hail Mary, to keep the trial on track, then I applaud him for his gutsy move. I think it is worth the messy circumstances, compared to what might have unfolded.

 

[Rocco]

Maybe, but I cant think of many. I don't think it would have been wise to bow to the defense's demands because he would be saying what he did was coming from a racial place. And I don't think it was.

But Baez was never going to let go of that accusation. He'd have played that card out until the bitter end.

If the judge did this as a Hail Mary, to keep the trial on track, then I applaud him for his gutsy move. I think it is worth the messy circumstances, compared to what might have unfolded.

I don't think he should have bowed to the defense's accusation either. It seems like he made a really good choice for a foreperson. It wasn't a problem at the time. But now that he's given out her name, it could be a problem for her. I don' think giving out her name is a legal problem but it could be a personal problem for her---and that's all his fault. It will be interesting to see what comes of this---if anything.

 

[turaj]

well I guess we will see in the morning. Maybe the system of judge choosing the foreperson works out most of the time but I must say I like the idea of the group who often have been together for awhile choosing the leader. In this racially charged world I guess we could have expected this..honestly not a clue what the jury make up is. I was okay with his choice too until the name. We will see in the morning...thanks for the chat..some good thoughts.

 

[Niner]

Hey all - just catching up on what I missed when I got cut off on the live stream!

Wow--judge picked the foreperson and said her seat number and name on the live stream.

I know - I saw that too and went maybe that's why I got cut off - did anyone else's stream cut out??

Laurel J. Sweet‏ @Laurel_Sweet
Locke will complete his instructions to the jury at 9 a.m. tomorrow, after which deliberations will commence.

You mean to tell me he wasn't finished??!!

Never saw a judge choose Foreperson sorry if discussed catching up as can

I've never seen that either! I'm surprised - but I guess it's a "Massachuetts" thing...

Did he possibly do it ' accidentally-on purpose' ? So he could avoid a reversible error down the road during Appeal Process?

I guess we'll find out later today, eh?

Okay - see you all later at 4pm - oops - that would be 9am your time!

I'll go ahead and do the tweets again - unless it's the jury instructions!

:wave:

 

[BUF]

Baez talking to the press again. Guess he just wanted a 'celebrity' to show up for his celebrity...

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/aaron-...ppened-bill-belichick-subpoena-220735645.html

Belichick was served a subpoena to appear at Suffolk County Court, according to Baez, however there was little notice on the appearance date. Belichick’s schedule prohibited him from appearing so quickly. Rather than delay the trial for a single witness, Baez said that he moved on and rested the defense Wednesday afternoon. Closing arguments were delivered on Thursday and the jury of 12 is expected to begin deliberating Friday morning here.

“It was short notice so I didn’t make a big deal about it,” Baez told Yahoo Sports after court on Thursday. “It wasn’t a big part of the trial anyway, so I dropped it.”

 

[BUF]

Abbey Niezgoda‏ @AbbeyNBCBoston
Jose Baez holds up a sign with the phrase he keeps using. "Truthful, but inaccurate." #AaronHernandez

Baez had a lot of demonstrative evidence during his closing. Some was good, but some was a little bizarre... like this one referenced in this tweet... the one he kept flipping over with the BIG TYPE & using over & over like a flash card. Then there was another bizarre one that he first put up with the BIG RED circle with the the line through it over photos. I thought these were so immature and would have insulted my intelligence if I were a juror. But the one that got me the most was the one he pulled up at the end... EXACT SAME ONE he used at the CA trial with how the jury should vote. Locke quickly stopped him telling Baez 'I'll instruct the jury on the law', Baez tried again and the judge had to tell him again!

 

[turaj]

Baez talking to the press again. Guess he just wanted a 'celebrity' to show up for his celebrity...

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/aaron-...ppened-bill-belichick-subpoena-220735645.html

Belichick was served a subpoena to appear at Suffolk County Court, according to Baez, however there was little notice on the appearance date. Belichick’s schedule prohibited him from appearing so quickly. Rather than delay the trial for a single witness, Baez said that he moved on and rested the defense Wednesday afternoon. Closing arguments were delivered on Thursday and the jury of 12 is expected to begin deliberating Friday morning here.

“It was short notice so I didn’t make a big deal about it,” Baez told Yahoo Sports after court on Thursday. “It wasn’t a big part of the trial anyway, so I dropped it.”

interesting given he was on a list for months..other reasons he was not on the stand not the least of which is he would not say what they wanted.

 

[BUF]

interesting given he was on a list for months..other reasons he was not on the stand not the least of which is he would not say what they wanted.

Although you may be correct that he may not have said what they wanted, he was served a subpoena and required to show up, but didn't. The judge 'could' sanction him, but doubt it would happen. My guess Is that Belichick just didn't want to be involved with this already convicted murderer. Just strange the way Baez spinned this.

 

[Niner]

Travis Andersen @TAGlobe
Locke on bench #AaronHernandez & the attys are in

Locke: discussing changes he will insert into written copy of the charge he will provide jurors as they deliberate #AaronHernandez

Locke: we have our jurors ready to come down to complete instructions #AaronHernandez

Sullivan: foreperson name widely spread among the media last night should be asked if any media contacted her last night #AaronHernandez

Locke: do u have any reason to believe she's been contacted Sullivan: name all over internet given my exp "with my wonderful friends back ..


.. there" that media tries to contact ppl someone tweeted she was "easy to find" #AaronHernandez

 

[turaj]

interesting given he was on a list for months..other reasons he was not on the stand not the least of which is he would not say what they wanted.

looks like he is going to ignore all of this?

 

[Niner]

Travis Andersen @TAGlobe
jury in #AaronHernandez

Locke: r u accusing them [media in room] of contacting/publicizing her Sullivanh I never accuse them of anything yr honor #AaronHernandez



well I guess Judge isn't going to do anything....

 

[Niner]

Travis Andersen @TAGlobe
Locke: has any juror been approached by anyone [no hands raised] #AaronHernandez

they already picked alternates?? - must have been yesterday, eh?

Locke: after jury assembles in deliberation rm you'll get exhibits/verdict slip/written instructions #AaronHernandez

Locke: 8 verdict slips for the 8 separate charges #AaronHernandez


I'm not going tweet the rest.... re instructions