Legal News

'Pressured to acquit,' say Carona jurors

By Jonathan Hayter

Two jurors in the recent trial of former Orange County, Calif.,  Sheriff Mike Carona told the judge during deliberations that they felt pressured to acquit the high-profile defendant, according to jurors? notes unsealed on Wednesday.

On Friday, the jury acquitted Carona of five felonies charging that he accepted cash and gifts for favors from his office. He was convicted on one count of witness tampering. But the lone woman on the jury, Marcia Deatherage, said she felt pressured by another juror who refused to consider Carona guilty on any of the charges. That juror could not be reached for comment in a story by the Los Angeles Times.

Another juror, identified as Juror No. 3, sent a note to the judge complaining that ?certain persons who slept through the presentations, who have not written down one single word in their trial notebooks? have ?suddenly come alive and just want to acquit.? The note also said there was ?a juror who wishes to acquit who, I believe, wants to party with Carona and his women.?

Full story at latimes.com.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on January 22, 2009 (boomark / email).