Defense lawyer raises potential conflict with prosecutors' jury consultant in refuge case

A defense lawyer Tuesday morning raised concerns about the jury consultant hired by federal prosecutors, moments before jury selection began in the trial of four remaining defendaants charged in the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Andrew Kohlmetz, who represents defendant Jason Patrick, said he had multiple conversations in November with an employee of Tsongas Litigation Consulting Inc., the same firm that prosecutors have hired to help them in picking a jury for the current trial.

Kohlmetz said he talked to the consultant several times about potential jurors that the defense team might seek and the need for a potential change in venue for the trial. He said he hope his "private thoughts" haven't been shared with the prosecutors' consulatant working for the same firm.

Tsongas consultant Laura Dominic, hired by the Oregon U.S. Attorney's Office, sat with federal prosecutors for the start of questioning potential jurors for the refuge conspiracy case.

Prosecutors' use of a consultant is highly unusual in federal court--former and present prosecutors who have worked in federal court in Oregon for 30 years couldn't recall a prosecution team hiring an outside consultant for jury selection in a federal criminal case in Oregon before this one.......

The federal government is 'pulling out the stops' to get convictions of the 'little people' in last year's Oregon Standoff protest after all the 'leaders' were acquitted last fall.

Federal District Judge Anna Brown met with the jurors last fall right after their verdict to find out why the jurors acquitted.

Then the prosecutors decided to tack on misdemeanor charges for the seven accused in addition to the felonies.

Then Judge Brown came back and said she would decide on guilt or innocence regarding the misdemeanors, not a jury or a federal magistrate, as is common in misdemeanor cases.

Now we learn our tax dollars have been invested in a 'jury consultant'.

The whole full court press to rig this trial against the defendants led to three of the defendants opting for plea deals last week, leaving four others to stand trial.

Jury selection is expected to be done late today with testimony in the second Oregon Standoff trial to get underway next Tuesday.

There have been appeals for something to be done by the Trump Administration to stop this travesty in Oregon as well as the prosecutions of those who protested at Bundy Ranch in April of 2014.

The new AG Jeff Sessions is now in place and I for one insist on action to bring justice to matters out West starting with the release of the Hammonds from prison.

The Oregon Standoff protest was launched on their behalf.

I think Dr. Martin Luther King was rooting for President John F. Kennedy to do the right thing on racial matters way back in 1961 when he took office, so lets hope President Donald J. Trump will come through on federal control of land and oppression of farmers and ranchers in the USA.

Also, trial activity in Las Vegas yesterday as the federal government goes after the first group on trial in connection with the Bunkerville Standoff in April 2014 near Bundy Ranch.

Activists like Gavin Seim were present to witness the trial.

Seim reported on his Facebook page.

If FR suspends me from posting over allegations of ‘sidebar abuse’ (I posted this Oregon story, the start of jury selection in the second trial as “Front Page News”) you will find my posts as the blog page.

http://nextrushfree.blogspot.com

Some of the mods are pretty good about things like this, while others seem to have something large and uncomfortable stuck in a very tender place. In all seriousness, it seems like the time of day and day of the week is what determines whether Fred Friendly or Aloysius A. Sole is riding herd.

They do a pretty good job for the most part, though, trying to herd the cats known as FReepers...

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