A jury of Scooter Libby’s peers

January 17, 2007

Former White House aide Scooter Libby’s trial in DC is just getting started, with jury selection underway. In a city in which Republicans are outnumbered 9 to 1, finding DC residents who can be objective about Dick Cheney’s right-hand man is apparently pretty difficult.

How difficult? Consider this one.

A former Washington Post reporter who wrote a book on spying and lived near someone who could be a key witness in the case was approved as a potential juror in the CIA leak case Wednesday. The man’s acceptance into the jury pool showed the difficulty that attorneys have had in picking a jury in the highly publicized perjury case against former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby. Several potential jurors have been disqualified for having strongly negative feelings about the Bush administration.

The former journalist who spent nearly an hour on the stand during the second day of jury selection lives near NBC “Meet the Press” anchor Tim Russert and knew or had connections to several key witnesses in the case. He once worked under Post reporter Bob Woodward and had followed the case in the news.

He was even friends with an attorney who played touch football with Libby — “He’s got a great arm,” the potential juror remarked.

Despite his connections to the witnesses, he said he did not have preconceived opinions about the case.

I’m not an expert on these matters, but as a rule, there’s no way this guy would make this jury under normal circumstances.

On a related note, for those of you who want to follow the details of the proceedings as they unfold, FDL, David Corn, The Next Hurrah, and Tapped are in the courtroom, offering online reports.

Maybe they should move the trial to somewhere that people don’t hate Scooter’s boss?

Oh wait, there isn’t such a place.

  • You mean they can’t find 12 liars and political hatchetmen? In Washington? Come on.

  • I don’t get it. All the info cited on the bias of the jury pool (anti-Republican, anti-administration) favors the Prosecution. So why is selection of a personal acquaintance (perhaps even a friend?) of Libby’s considered as further illustrating this point? Of course the Defense is going to accept this guy! That doesn’t explain why the Prosecution did. Both sides can eliminate prospective jurors with or without grounds. I’d say the only question here (and it’s a good one) is why on earth did the Prosecution accepted this guy? If they already used up all their objections, they sure used them prematurely. Given the available pool, it should be the Defense who runs out of objections and is forced to accept candidates it considers marginal.

  • I’d say the only question here (and it’s a good one) is why on earth did the Prosecution accepted this guy?

    From the article: “Prosecutors and defense attorneys can still use a peremptory — or unexplained — challenge to strike him from the jury pool when he returns Thursday.”

  • From the article: “Prosecutors and defense attorneys can still use a peremptory — or unexplained — challenge to strike him from the jury pool when he returns Thursday.”

    IANAL, but if memory serves me right, each side only gets a limited number of those.

  • Do not jump to any conclusions about the jury. It all depends on the process being used for jury selection. Jurors are questioned to first determine if they should be excused for cause. This juror said he could be fair and impartial, hence no challenge for cause. He may still be excused by either the prosecution or defense when the opportunity for peremptory challenges is taken.

  • “Several potential jurors have been disqualified for having strongly negative feelings about the Bush administration.”

    Are you kidding me? Bush’s approval rating hovers near 30% and they expect to find twelve honest people out of that remaining 30%? This jury summons will sure be a drain on the staffs of the Washington Times and FOX News.

  • “Bush’s approval rating hovers near 30% and they expect to find twelve honest people out of that remaining 30%?” – petorado

    The lack in BG2’s 30% isn’t honestly, it’s any real human preception and compassion.

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