10 ore 2 sett 1994 anni - D. A. files motion to sequester jury

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Prosecutors request sequestered jury
By ELKA WORNER

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 2 -- Prosecutors in the O.J. Simpson double- murder case filed a motion Friday asking that jurors in the high-profile case be sequestered during the trial. 'If ever there was a jury in the history of the world that needed protection from publicity, this jury is the one,' Deputy District Attorney Marcia Clark said in the 50-page motion. Since the June 12 stabbing deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, O.J. Simpson, who is charged with first-degree murder for the slayings, has been mentioned in 15,310 newspaper and magazine articles. Even the most mundane hearing in the case of the famous athlete- turned-actor has been covered live on national TV. Because of the unprecedented media coverage, jurors could be exposed to prejudicial publicity 'which could cause them to be influenced by matters or concerns outside the evidence presented in court,' the motion said. Clark said media reports, which could easily reach an unsequestered jury, have included 'highly inflammatory, prejudicial statements by defense counsel.' She cites a trade publication article by lead defense attorney Robert Shapiro titled 'Using the Media to Your Advantage, in which he states that a lawyer's role as a spokesman may be equally important to the outcome of the case as the skills of an advocate in the courtroom.' 'Sequestration would protect the jury from the undue influence of an organized press campaign,' Clark said. Superior Court Judge Lance Ito had suggested partial sequestration for jurors, but prosecutors said that is inadequate because when jurors are escorted home they could be followed.

'...Even a conscientious juror who tried to avoid news reports or discussion about the case could not do so,' Clark said. 'The juror could not go to a restaurant, movie or a party without the risk of overhearing a conversation about the case. 'Moreover, it would only be human nature for a juror to be overwhelmed by the temptation to find out whether his views are shared by the world at large.' It would cost $3,446 a day to sequester a juror, but that is 'relatively minimal' compared to a retrial necessitate due to jury contamination, Clark said. Prosecutors also want jurors questioned individually apart from the rest of the group during jury selection. Ito had said he would announce Friday if he will issue a gag order to stop the string of leaks from both sides but left on a two-week fishing vacation without doing so. He will rule on the sequestration motion before the Sept. 26 trial date.


Sourced from:
UPI News

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/09/02/Prosecutors-request-sequestered-jury/1498778478400/

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