[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Sign me up!!

[MizSterious]

Ping!

[BunnySlippers]

Anyone know if this trial will be televised?

[Straight Vermonter]

I'm not an advocate of the death penalty but geez the jury has to be able to uphold the law.

[Jagdgewehr]

The defense, on the other hand, wants people who look at life in shades of gray, who are suspicious of authority, who are comfortable holding a minority opinion ? people who "have a different reference group," according to David Graeven of Trial Behavior Consulting Inc., a San Francisco firm that helps pick juries.

That is, suspicious of authority that abides in the precept that murder is wrong and apply the ardant position that the only just consequence is capital punishment.
Furthermore, these people must see things in "shades of gray" and be "comfortable holding a minority opinion." The interpretation here is, these people must not believe in absolutes, have the ability to deliberately dismiss facts, and be so deluded to think that their stupidity is actually virtue and therefore be considered a "minority opinion."

[Karson]

Thanks for the ping!

Any idea when they will start picking jurors? As I understand it, they are still in the interviewing phase...?

[Karson]

Uh ... I found the answer to my own question when I went back and read the article.

On Tuesday, a judge and lawyers in San Diego Superior Court are scheduled to begin interviewing prospective jurors in groups of 20.

[RnMomof7]

The defense, on the other hand, wants people who look at life in shades of gray, who are suspicious of authority, who are comfortable holding a minority opinion ? people who "have a different reference group," according to David Graeven of Trial Behavior Consulting Inc., a San Francisco firm that helps pick juries.

Interesting because I do not think in shades of grey..and I do not think the man is guilty (unless there is LOTS we have not heard yet!)

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

San Diego attorney Dan Williams, a former prosecutor who won a death sentence against convicted killer David Lucas, said he thinks juries in death cases hold prosecutors to a higher standard than they otherwise might. While they're willing to impose the death penalty if the facts call for it, these juries won't tolerate any sloppiness or ambiguity with the prosecution's case, Williams said.

The Biblical Standard.

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother:

so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. (Deuteronomy 19: 15-20)

After 3,000 years...
The wisdom of the Old Republic still sounds true...

[skipjackcity]

"But broad generalities are often misleading. When it comes to picking jurors, most lawyers simply trust their gut."...I don't see this death-penalty bias as being pro-prosecution or pro-defense. I am the most pro-death penalty guy I know, and I wouldn't convict him on what I have seen so far. They need more than what has been revealed to garner a death penaly.

[mommya]

Thanks for the ping - interesting article, though I wish it could have said more. I'd love to know how drunk this gal thought Westerfield was. I mean - if he's going to try to use being "too drunk" as an excuse for not having been able to commit the crime - that may have been evident to this woman at some point during that time. It doesn't say at what time during the night's events that Westerfield wanted to buy her and her friend the drinks and offered to give her friend the ride home. I'm thinking it must have been after Brenda and her friends were there - after all, why would he have made this offer early, before Brenda and friends arrived - if he hoped for a shot at Barbara or Brenda even? But if he made the offer to these ladies later - after maybe being rejected by Barbara or Brenda - that would indicate to me that he probably just shrugged it off and moved on to finding another gal to "hook up" with. The article says he seemed really nice - that's so wierd - all we ever really hear about him is that he was really nice. I mean - that woman in the article could have easily said "He was totally drunk and kind of creepy" but she didn't - she didn't even say "I thought he seemed nice at the time - but looking back now - I see that he was behaving oddly." Nothing like that at all. She does however recall stoned Brenda - hmmmn. I need more answers.