Jury is selected on Friday, September 12, 2008 for OJ Simpson trial after nearly 500 potential jury members are rejected.
After over a month of screening, the 12 person jury along with the 6 alternates was selected for the OJ Simpson trial in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 500 potential jurors filled out a 26-page questionnaire which eliminated more than half immediately.
O.J. Simpson, now 61 years old and 13 years removed from his 1995 Los Angeles murder trial, is being charged with felony kidnapping, armed robbery, conspiracy, burglary, coercion, and assault with a deadly weapon; among other charges. The charges stem from a confrontation in a hotel room last September after which Simpson and four other men allegedly carried guns with pillow cases stuffed full of sports memorabilia and left a Las Vegas hotel.
Judge Jackie Glass rejected defense attorney Yale Galanter’s request to ask if they (the potential jurors) thought Simpson was a murderer. When the potential panel was brought in for questioning, Glass lectured the group saying ” If you are here thinking you are going to punish Mr. Simpson for what happened in Los Angeles in 1995, this is not the case for you.”
The final jury was selected on Friday September 12, 2008 and opening statements began on Monday the 15th. The all white jury was selected and urged not to be influenced by Simpson’s past case. Simpson’s felony defense attorney has asked that a new jury panel be selected after the prosecutors challenged two black prospective jurors. The trial judge ruled that the prosecutor had legal grounds to remove these two black jurors that were unrelated to their race.
In this case, Mr. Simpson’s trial attorney needs to be ready to convince the jury to set aside Simpson’s past criminal charges. If faced with such serious felony criminal charges it is paramount to retain a qualified and experienced criminal defense attorney to fight for your freedom and ensure that only evidence from your specific case is allowed in so that the jury is not swayed by facts that should be irrelevant to your guilt or innocence in your present case.
Wallin and Klarich has over 30 years of experience and are determined to give you the help you need when you are facing a burglary or assault charge.
Our qualified criminal defense attorneys specialize in all areas of criminal law. Visit our website at www.wklaw.com or call us 24 hours a day 7 days a week at 1-888-749-0034 to speak to one of our aggressive attorneys.
