Holdout juror claims 'witch hunt,' blasts N.Y. liberals in trial of Steve Bannon associate for 'We

[TexasTowelie]

Source: New York Daily News

The trial of a Steve Bannon associate accused of stealing donations from a fund to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border has been thrown into chaos by a juror claiming the case is a government “witch hunt” and that his fellow jurors are biased New York liberals.

Colorado businessman Timothy Shea is on trial in Manhattan Federal Court for his alleged role siphoning money from the “We Build the Wall” charity, which collected cash from supporters of President Donald Trump’s signature policy to combat illegal immigration. The money was supposed to go to a privately funded section of border wall, but prosecutors allege Bannon, Shea and others raided the charity.

Since deliberations began Tuesday, notes from the jury have indicated Juror No. 4 is questioning why the case is charged in the Southern District of New York.

The juror believes “government tried (Shea) in SDNY because they knew people here vote differently, should have been tried in a southern state,” read one note sent to Judge Analisa Torres late Thursday.

Read more: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/manhattan/ny-timothy-shea-holdout-juror-steve-bannon-we-build-the-wall-20220603-bbzkvmv2mrgi3diixwhqnrrmdm-story.html

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Complete headline: Holdout juror claims ‘witch hunt,’ blasts N.Y. liberals in trial of Steve Bannon associate for ‘We Build the Wall’ scam

[William769]

1. Shouldn't someone like juror #4 been found out during Voir dire?

[elleng]

4. Yes

[SunSeeker]

27. It appears this juror did not answer the voir dire questions honestly.

Kinda hard to catch that, but maybe a good trial attorney or jury consultant could have determined he was lying that he was unbiased.

Nonetheless, as pointed out by others, he has clearly established his bias now. Time to kick him off and put in any alternate juror who might be available.

[elleng]

29. Definitely remove him. I wonder whether he was planted. ???

Bannon, after all.

[Escurumbele]

12. He can and still should be dismissed, because of bias.

[dchill]

18. I didn't. What is it?

[dchill]

22. Thanks. Guess I don't need that right now.

[dchill]

24. Sure. And on the very low chance I ever become...

...a long haul trucker, I'll be able to pretend I'm cool!

[pecosbob]

30. Used to be called 'white cross' or 'whites' in the old days

U.S. experienced a nationwide addiction after WWII that started with the government giving benzedrine tablets to soldiers during the war.

[duhneece]

34. They were also given to wives of officers

…to lose weight in the late 50’s.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Too bad if during a lunch break juror #4 got whacked by a falling...

2x4 at one of the many construction sites downtown and an alternate had to take his place.

[hamsterjill]

11. Yep. Or turned in for inappropriate behavior.

Just handle it!!!

[Samrob]

5. Mis-trial and start all over. nt

[TexasTowelie]

8. Yes.

I know that the judge can't punish that juror, but the judge should give that juror a piece of his mind for wasting everyone's time and taxpayer money. The juror should also be automatically disqualified from being called for jury duty in the future.

[The Grand Illuminist]

51. That juror would probably be relieved.

He probably hates jury duty.

[Eugene]

13. They haven't given up trying to reason with this juror.

The defense asked for a mistrial. They are still deliberating.

[madaboutharry]

6. Someone lied his or her way onto that jury.

[groundloop]

10. Yep. Isn't that a crime?

If so that juror should be charge to the full extent of the law.

[LonePirate]

7. That juror is saying crimes are OK if committed by people who serve TFG.

The judge should declare a mistrial as this juror is refusing the weight the merits of the case.

[TexasTowelie]

9. I agree and expressed a few more comments in post #8.

BTW, my college mascots were the pirates, so don't feel so alone. I'm also missing a leg like a pirate.

[Lasher]

14. Juror No. 4 isn't too bright.

Thanks to him or her, they clearly lied themselves onto this jury. They could have inflicted more damage by being more subtle.

[stopdiggin]

15. isn't this somewhat to be expected?

at least in broad and general strokes? In a country as polarized, divided, and prone to misinformation as ours - I'm suggesting that a lot of jury pools are going to have one (if not more) of the 'kool-aid crowd.'

And some of the things that we perceive as 'slam dunks' - - ain't gonna' be.

[moniss]

37. Absolutely perfect observation

[RussBLib]

16. and down South, we vote "the right way"

I guess? He denounces a biased jury by wanting to try the case where people are biased HIS way. D'oh!

[Indykatie]

17. MAGA Jurists Worry Me- They Won't Convict Regardless of the Evidence

[ShazzieB]

54. Do you mean jurors?

Members of a jury are called jurors. MAGA jurors are definitely a problem!

[not fooled]

19. It's like these people

want to be scammed by red don and his ilk.

[area51]

49. +1 n/t

[dchill]

20. Juror #4 is just filth.

[SunSeeker]

26. Juror #4 obviously committed perjury during voir dire.

Especially the part where they ask you about bias. That's a no-no.

[inthewind21]

44. Perjury?

I wasn't aware pools were now sworn in during voir dire.

[SunSeeker]

46. Yes, jurors are sworn in before voir dire.

Everything they say during voir dire is under penalty of perjury. But I've never heard of a juror getting hit with a perjury charge. I figure it's because judges don't have time for that shit, and it's hard enough to get people to be jurors as it is, so they don't want to scare people away by hitting jurors with perjury charges.

[Hortensis]

55. Don't forget the juror may have honestly believed he was

without bias. If we've learned anything from this national trauma, it should be that large numbers of (most?) of us believe many significant things that simply are not true. Some particularly about themselves due to being partially or entirely without capacity for self awareness.

This is also professionally studied and proven many times over.

The sincerity of many is so appalling because it's real.

[Cheezoholic]

28. Great book

and the movie wasn't bad either

[KelleyKramer]

31. Ok wait, he rufuses to convict him of stealing from Trump supporters??

Am I missing something?

The juror is a Trump supporter and he refuses to convict someone of stealing from Trump supporters?

WTF

[BComplex]

36. None of them care what trump or his cronies does to them: leave them standing in the freezing

temperatures for hours with no busses after a rally...these people love it when the trump team beats 'em up. The more beaten up they get, the more they're sure they're suffering for the cause. These people are really really sick.

[ashredux]

32. Attorney was able to get a "ringer" on the jury....

[bucolic_frolic]

33. Selection of jurisdiction is not the responsibility of jurors

He is overstepping his boundaries and failing to perform his duties as a juror. He deserves to be fired.

[hueymahl]

35. A lot of posters making vast assumptions about Juror #4

As much as I think Banonn (and his associates) are scum, nothing in the article indicates a specific bias which would be grounds for removing him. Nothing indicates perjury during voir dire. For better or worse, that is the american jury system.

Movies have been written about rogue jurors. Innocent men and women have been saved from conviction by rogue jurors. Guilty men and women have been set free by rogue jurors.

It's an imperfect system. But it is better than the alternative.

[llashram]

38. biased against

New York liberals...that's a specific bias to me...and I'm sure there are some liberals on that jury. Always are on most juries. Rittenhouse jury aside.

[hueymahl]

40. Bias yes, but not the kind that makes him removable

Removing a juror is an extraordinary remedy.

[Calista241]

43. Exactly, the questions were likely around 'having an open mind'

Regarding the type of case and charges.

They can’t exactly say, “this guy is a trumper, will you vote to convict him” in their jury questionnaire. They actually have to prove their case to all jurors.

[MarcA]

39. More tyranny of the super-minority. n/t

[paleotn]

41. Replacement juror warming up in the bullpen.

[rockfordfile]

42. A corrupt pos juror. How did the pos get that far?

[inthewind21]

45. Have you ever

Sat on a jury? I'm guessing no because if you had, you'd already know the answer to that question. People seem to have this notion that the jury process is done with meticulous procedure, care and process. It's not.

[Duncan Grant]

48. My experience: given a questionnaire, interviewed by attorneys and the judge.

If one tells the truth, a prick like juror #4 never makes it to the jury. Based on my experience, juror #4 deceived the court — on purpose.

[Calista241]

57. What are they going to ask him to uncover that bias?

They can't ask him if he's a republican, or if he supported President Trump. They certainly can't exclude him based on political beliefs. A judge would squash that line of questioning so quick a lawyers head would spin.

They can only ask open ended questions. Stuff like "Would you have an open mind if XYZ."

[Duncan Grant]

58. It doesn't matter - if the juror is intent on deception.

If I’m a prosecutor, I’m going to use every tool at my disposal to out a deceptive candidate for juror — even their body language and demographics. It’s my job, right? Anyway, my intent is to say juror #4 got themselves on the jury dishonestly. That’s an opinion, I can’t prove it. Seems extremely likely though…

[maxsolomon]

47. Jury Nullification

It's what let Elizabeth Hokoana walk after shooting an unarmed medic named Josh Dukes point blank in the stomach on the UW Campus on inauguration day 2017. Her POS husband had been pepper spraying Liberal protestors and Dukes grabbed his arm. She shot him in "self-defense".

1 juror refused to convict.

[msfiddlestix]

50. so what's the update on the story? Has the judge dismissed the juror?

How does this get resolved? Has it been resolved yet?

[Princess Turandot]

52. The judge declared a mistrial 2 days ago..

https://www.courthousenews.com/we-build-the-wall-fraud-case-ends-in-mistrial-jurors-hopelessly-deadlocked/

[msfiddlestix]

56. Well that's unfortunate

Steve Bannon is free to press on. .

ain't that special?

[Brainfodder]

53. Leading from behind taken to the max?