Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Judge boots problem juror in Fla. terrorism case
AP via SFGate ^ | 5/5/9

Posted on 05/05/2009 8:28:39 AM PDT by SmithL

MIAMI (AP) -- An uncooperative juror has been replaced on the panel in Miami deliberating the case of six men accused of plotting to destroy Chicago's Sears Tower and attack FBI offices.

. . .
U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard said Tuesday the juror had violated her duty by refusing to deliberate and casting doubt on the law.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alquaida; bombplot; domesticterroism; floriduh; libertycitysix; proterrorist; sears; searsbombing; searsbuildingplot; searstower; terrorsupporter
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-91 next last

1 posted on 05/05/2009 8:28:39 AM PDT by SmithL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Lenard, Joan A.
Born 1952 in Amityville, NY

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
Nominated by William J. Clinton on September 29, 1995, to a seat vacated by James Lawrence King; Confirmed by the Senate on December 22, 1995, and received commission on December 26, 1995.

Education:
Rockland Community College, A.A., 1972

Roger Williams College, B.A., 1973

Antioch School of Law, J.D., 1976

Professional Career:
Office of the State Attorney, 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Dade County, 1976-1982
Assistant state attorney, 1976-1978
Chief, Consumer Fraud Division, 1978-1980
Chief, Consumer and Economic Crime Division, 1980-1982
Judge, Dade County Court, Florida, 1982-1993
Circuit judge, Family Division, 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, 1993-1995


Race or Ethnicity: White

Gender: Female

2 posted on 05/05/2009 8:29:55 AM PDT by SmithL (The Golden State demands all of your gold)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

And from Yesterday's Mimi Herald:
U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard asked the juror, a black woman whose name has not been made public, to come to the courtroom to answer questions about her willingness to follow the law and apply it to the evidence in the case after fellow jurors accused the woman of refusing to deliberate. The incident caused the second, unrelated delay in deliberations, which began on April 27.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/1032401.html
3 posted on 05/05/2009 8:38:16 AM PDT by SmithL (The Golden State demands all of your gold)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL
Two previous mistrials occurred when juries failed to reach verdicts.

"Houston, we have a problem."

4 posted on 05/05/2009 8:40:26 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

the juror, a black woman

waiting for the racism charge.....

In 5...4...3...


5 posted on 05/05/2009 8:40:56 AM PDT by mom4melody
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

I don’t get it.


6 posted on 05/05/2009 8:46:41 AM PDT by jiggyboy (Ten per cent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: mom4melody

Is this the group that Geraldo Rivera claimed were entrapped by the government? That an inside agent was behind the entire plot? Or was that a different Florida terrorist group?


7 posted on 05/05/2009 8:47:20 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (IRONY - we know more about the First Dog's historical papers than we do of President Barack.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

Isn’t “casting doubt on the law” what jury nullification is? Not to say that it was warranted in this instance, because I don’t know what the trial was.


8 posted on 05/05/2009 8:48:32 AM PDT by Little Pig (Is it time for "Cowboys and Islamofanatics" yet?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

From UPI 2/18/09 article:

The men were arrested in June 2006 and charged with conspiring to provide material support to al-Qaida.

Prosecutors say the group’s leader, Narseal Batiste, 34, sought an alliance with al-Qaida to stage major terror attacks in the United States.

All six of the defendants are construction laborers.

The jury for the new trial, which took three weeks to select, is comprised of four Hispanics, four blacks, three non-Hispanic whites and one juror of Iranian descent


9 posted on 05/05/2009 8:49:55 AM PDT by Voter62vb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

And our Dear Leader doesn’t expect the same thing to happen when Gitmo terrorists are tried in US courts? If you believe that I have a bridge I’d like to talk to you about.


10 posted on 05/05/2009 8:50:47 AM PDT by Joiseydude (Kate Smith - God Bless America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCavKL2zdjM GREAT visual interpretatio)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

I haven’t heard the evidence in this case so I won’t even attempt to judge the guilt or innocence of the defendants, but this is beginning to look like a case of jury nullification. When a juror “casts doubt” on the law supposedly broken that juror is (hopefully) acting in response to his/her conscience. That’s the way it’s supposed to be but you’ll find precious few judges who will approve.


11 posted on 05/05/2009 8:51:31 AM PDT by oldfart (Obama nation = abomination. Think about it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Cicero

Another reason why we can not try terrorists in domestic courts with any assurance that justice will be done.

“Jury Nullification” -— just like the OJ Jury, will happen frequently.


12 posted on 05/05/2009 8:52:27 AM PDT by Kansas58
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: oldfart

When a juror “casts doubt” on the law supposedly broken that juror is (hopefully) acting in response to his/her conscience.

LOL! She is acting in accord with her race.


13 posted on 05/05/2009 8:56:41 AM PDT by bill1952 (Power is an illusion created between those with power - and those without)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Kansas58

Jurors have the absolute right to judge the LAW as well as the Fact in Controversy.
John Jay our first Supreme Court Justice
I might add that nearly Every Supreme Court Justice has said the same thing.

also see William Penn


14 posted on 05/05/2009 8:57:45 AM PDT by eyeamok
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: eyeamok

I agree to a point.

I also think that the OJ Jury was a disgrace.

Where terrorism is concerned, the risk of “Jury Nullification” as well as the release of intelligence information in the trial, are reasons to go with Military Tribunals for those accused of treason, terrorism or any similar “crime”.


15 posted on 05/05/2009 9:04:30 AM PDT by Kansas58
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: All

But she’s not trying to even deliberate this case, this isn’t jury nullification, it’s inappropriate bias toward the defendants.


16 posted on 05/05/2009 9:07:29 AM PDT by DeLaine (If love were oil, I'd be a quart low)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: eyeamok

Maybe I am completely wrong, but this reminds me of the OJ syndrome.

And.. also of the Duke LaCrosse syndrome, and all the other black criminals who are heroes in the minds of all too many black people. If the victim is perceived as “whitey”, it is likely that there will be a black bigot on the jury.

My prediction is that they are going to reap what they have sown.


17 posted on 05/05/2009 9:13:39 AM PDT by 2ndClassCitizen ( A Plague on Those Who Support Racial Preferences)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: bill1952

I’ve got no problem with jury nullification. However, it seems to me that it should occur only after deliberation, and she should be trying to convice the other jurors to follow her thought processes, not whine about “negativity”.

When you are acting negatively, that is what you should cheerfully expect to get from others.


18 posted on 05/05/2009 9:21:22 AM PDT by chesley (A pox on both their houses. I've voted for my last RINO.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: DeLaine

so she is accused of bias. what jury is not biased????
if you believe the law is WRONG, you must not find guilty. It dont mater what teh laws says, it matters if it is right or not. that is the nice thing about the jury system. non-lawyers can decide if the law is good or not.

this is a right we have as jurors. most folks are not aware of this.

lets say the hate crime law is passed, and you get on a jury for a hate crime. if you dont belive in hate crimes (un-Constitutional) then you should find them not guilty, even if they did exactly what the prosecuter says they did.

if the law is bad, you have an obligation to stike it down in that case

the people must be involved to stop judical and prosecutor abuse of the Constitution.

when you are on the jury, you must uphold the Constitution first, not some laws passed by politicans or activist judges.

No judge has the right to remove a juror based on that jurors belief that the LAW IS WRONG. this judge should be kicked off the bench.


19 posted on 05/05/2009 9:39:04 AM PDT by dhm914
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: SmithL
I was on a jury once where a woman refused to participate in good faith. It was a very ugly, frustrating experience, and we ended up as a hung jury, 11-1.

We finally put a guy molesting his own kids back on the street because of it.

20 posted on 05/05/2009 10:15:44 AM PDT by willgolfforfood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-91 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson