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The [Friday] Papers"Court officials acknowledged Thursday that information revealed by the Tribune appears to show that a member of the federal jury that convicted Springfield power broker William Cellini concealed two felony conviction," the paper reports. "Attorneys for Cellini said the information may be used in seeking to overturn last week's verdict . . . Federal law generally disqualifies convicted felons from serving on juries." Okay, here's the important part for anyone who may have thought preventative measures had been put in place to address this type of problem after the fiasco of the George Ryan jury: "While the jury was deliberating Ryan's fate, the Tribune uncovered that two jurors had concealed arrest records during jury selection months earlier. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer, who was presiding over the Ryan trial, booted both from the jury after eight days of deliberations, replaced them with alternates and ordered that deliberations start anew. The reconstituted jury convicted Ryan on sweeping corruption charges. "Ryan, who also was represented by Webb, made the unusual conclusion to the trial a key part of his appeal of the verdict, but Ryan's conviction was upheld by appeals courts. He is serving a 6 1/2-year sentence in federal prison. "Following Ryan's trial, Chief Judge James Holderman said the court would start conducting criminal background checks on prospective jurors in certain higher-profile trials. But under the proposal, the judge presiding over the case has veto power over whether the background checks would be allowed." First, why would Holderman treat "certain higher-profile trials" differently than the rest when everyone deserves an honest jury? Second, why give the presiding judge veto power when everyone deserves an honest jury? Third, why would a judge deny background checks? * "It was unclear if U.S. District Judge James Zagel allowed background checks to be conducted of the prospective jurors in the Cellini trial. The judge did not respond to an email from the Tribune seeking to talk to him about the newspaper's findings. Holderman was unavailable for comment." * Now here's the bigger surprise: "I consider this very important information that I was not aware of," said Dan Webb, one of Cellini's lawyers. Does superlawyer Dan Webb never learn? From the Beachwood's March 27, 2006 edition: "Count me among those stunned that the defense in particular apparently didn't do a background check on jurors in the George Ryan trial. "I guess $10 million doesn't go as far as it used to. "It strains credulity to think that today's sophisticated jury consulting doesn't include gathering every single fact possible on every single juror, including their favorite colors so lawyers can choose the most advantageous wardrobe and their favorite TV shows so a reference or two can be dropped into closing arguments. "But then, maybe Dan Webb is so brilliant that he doesn't need no stinkin' jury consultants." * Finally, no sentence has appeared more often in Chicago's newspapers over the years than this one: "Randall Samborn, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago, declined to comment on the development." Graham Cracker Huh. The accounts I cited yesterday noted Spanier's self-described hardscrabble childhood on the South Side but never mentioned a North Shore suburban existence. The Memory Penn State Dredges Up Mental Floss "In terms of percentage change, Illinois' 31.7% cut topped all but South Carolina (a 39.3% reduction), Alabama (36%) and Alaska (32.6%). Despite hard economic times, 21 states increased spending in the three-year period, according to the study." Maybe if crazy people threatened to leave the state they'd get a big subsidy. Beavers Still Getting Funded "'Do you own a suit?" Beavers asked Earl Dunlap in 2008 as he lectured that your appearance commands respect" and told him he's 'supposed to be a role model.' "On Thursday, it was a virtual replay in the county's downtown Chicago boardroom during a budget hearing that spiraled into a fiery, albeit brief, exchange about whether the man makes the clothes or the clothes make the man. In the blink of an eye, it seemed, Beavers went from chastising Dunlap about fractured relations between the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and the Chicago Police Department to the two recalling how their own relationship soured." Isn't Bill Beavers living proof that the clothes don't make the man? The Definition of Insanity . . . Maybe if principals dressed better. Michael Jerkface Jordan "During his NBA career, he always defended the average player because he was a committed, compassionate athlete. His marketing appeal helped players and owners reap millions. "But now that he's the owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, Jordan is the chief headhunter for hard-line NBA owners who locked out the players." For an even more devastating critique of Jordan's absolute hypocrisy, check out Tom Ziller's "Michael Jordan: The NBA's Biggest Pickle." It's Not So Much That He's A Socialist Muslim . . . The Week in Occupy Chicago Lost Faith In A Ruined Sport The Week in Chicago Rock The Week in WTF - The Beachwood Tip Line: Faithless.
Posted on November 11, 2011 |
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