A prospective juror accused of likening former Chicago Police Commander. Jon Burge to infamous mob boss Al Capone told a federal judge she did not recall saying that.
The juror was called in early this morning after another juror told the court Tuesday that the woman said that Burge, who is on trial for lying about the torturing suspects during the 70s and 80s, was like Capone because "he got away with a lot of stuff and now they're trying to hang him."
When asked about the alleged statement, the juror told U.S. District Court Judge Joan Lefkow, "I do not recall that."
Lefkow conferred privately with both sides and sent the woman back to the pool of prospective jurors.
Prior to questioning the juror, Burge attorney Marc Martin asked Lefkow to individually question each of the 43 prospective jurors about whether they had seen any news reports on the trial since Tuesday, saying the the alleged Capone statement was widely reported and was prejudicial to his client.
Lefkow agreed to question the panel as a group, and said she and the attorneys could later decide what to do with any prospective jurors who admitted to seeing or hearing news accounts of Tuesday's proceedings.
Opening statements are expected today in the trial. Jury selection is slated to wrap up earlier in the day.
Burge is charged with obstruction of justice and perjury for lying about torture that allegedly occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. He faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted on all
counts.
The trial is expected to take six weeks.
Thanks to Matthew Walberg
If Jon Burge worked today there would not be 18 shootings in oneweekend, the criminals are not afraid of the police or the court system, they keep doing crime after crime, The judge dont have the balls to sentance these low lifes to harsh prison terms, so the criminal knows he could go all htese crimes and serve very little tme Illinois should havethe 3 stike law were the person does 3 felonies they go to jail for life wth no way to get out that will bring the crime rate down in no0 time, The man on the news today that beet up the women at th atm ws arrested 46times what is he doing out! he should get life in prision for this crime.
ReplyDelete