OREGON STANDOFF FBI AGENT TRIAL: JURY QUICKLY SELECTED, TRIAL STARTS TOMORROW
A jury of 12 and two alternates, 10 men and 4 women, have been selected for the trial of FBI Agent W. Joseph Astarita. The trial will start tomorrow morning in Portland at 9am. The 12 member jury will consist of nine men and three women.
Astarita is charged with two counts of making a false statement when he lied to supervisors and one count of obstruction of justice in connection with his interview with Oregon police investigating the law enforcement killing of LaVoy Finicum on January 26, 2016 along Route 395 in Harney County, Oregon in what was called a "felony traffic stop".
91-year old Senior US District Judge Robert E. Jones is presiding at the trial. When some of the jury pool brought up issues like travel to Europe or childbirth coming soon the judge said these issues should have been dealt with sooner and he hadn't seen such a situation with a jury pool in his 55 years as a judge.
Some 85 potential jurors were in the pool from which the final 14 were selected after two hours of questioning in the courtroom.
When one potential juror said she would not follow a judge's direction if told to disregard testimony under a defense lawyer's questioning Judge Jones said: "That's fine. You're excused. Goodbye".
A prosecutor asked Judge Jones to remind those attending the trial they cannot wear any buttons, pins, shirts with insignia such as "RIP LaVoy Finicum" during the trial. The judge said no one with such gear on will be allowed into the courtroom
Jury selection was moved at the last minute to 1pm in the afternoon from 9am apparently to avoid a protest outside the courthouse in support of justice for LaVoy Finicum scheduled for the morning.
Protesters in support of justice for LaVoy were outside the courthouse well into the day, anyway.
When supporters of LaVoy and his widow tried to get into the courtroom today, they were unable to get in for most of the jury selection process because potential jurors filled the courtroom.
When supporters of LaVoy and his widow tried to get into the courtroom today, they were unable to get in for most of the jury selection process because potential jurors filled the courtroom.
Supporters of LaVoy were concerned about their exclusion from the jury selection process and they only saw what was going on inside the courtroom once the jurors were selected.
The media was also excluded from most of the process with Maxine Bernstein of "OregonLive" able to get the judge to allow her in for part of the process.
Links below.....
(UPDATED LATE TUESDAY JULY 24TH, FUTURE POSTS ABOUT TRIAL WILL BE ON BLOG PUT NOT REPOSTED BY ME TO 'FREE REPUBLIC' UNTIL NEXT MONTH DUE TO VACATION, "SPIRIDON" WILL ATTEMPT REPOSTS AT HIS CONVENIENCE)
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