U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan, III set the rules of the battlefield for the public corruption trial of Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, and former Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks at a pre-trial conference hearing this week. WLBT reported:
Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens was all smiles Tuesday as he left the U.S. District Courthouse. That’s likely because he got two favorable signals from a federal judge: his lawyers may be allowed to mention entrapment in opening statements, and jurors may not be given a copy of the indictment that he has criticized for months. Owens, former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and about a dozen attorneys met with U.S. District Judge Daniel Jordan for a pretrial conference to sort out issues ahead of the expected multiweek trial. During the two-hour proceedings, the judge said he was open to allowing Owens’ attorneys to bring up entrapment during their opening statements, despite objections from prosecutors. The judge said he was also considering deviating from his normal practice of allowing the jury to have a copy of the indictment, saying the October 2024 document “may or may not” contain information consistent with the evidence in the case.... The judge also addressed jury selection, saying he wants to sit at least three or four alternates in addition to the 12 jurors due to the trial’s expected length. The trial will likely last well into August, with Fulcher saying the prosecution’s case will take an estimated two to 2.5 weeks.
Attorneys will have about 207 prospective jurors to choose from — after the parties struck potential candidates after reviewing their responses to a questionnaire sent out weeks ago. Rest of article.
Judge Jordan said he would still accept guilty pleas from any of the defendants.
5 comments:
The Choke made it back from the Rez but he does look a little sunburned.
Pick me, pick me. I am one of the 207. I promise that will keep an open mind, listen closely to all testimony, consider all documents, deliberate fairly also with an open mind, all before I vote the MFers guilty.
1:23 PM - That made me laugh so hard I peed my pants.
"Judge Jordan said he would still accept guilty pleas from any of the defendants. "
Muttley laugh from Laff-A-Lympics.
1:23 - THAT WAS HILARIOUS!!!!!
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