Archive - 2007
February 28th
The jurors have left the building
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Wed, 02/28/2007 - 17:51The word has come down at around 4:45 that the jurors have left the building. There are lots of speculations about what it could mean. They’ve reached a decision and everyone wants to go home get a good night’s rest and come in with verdict clothes tomorrow. They are close and have decided to go home and sleep on it. They have reached an impasse and are going home to cool off. Perhaps there is a special sale at a local store, or they are having early happy hour for jurors at a local bar.
Strike that: It is now reported that Judge Walton had a five o'clock meeting and sent them home early.
Meanwhile, we’ve been told that they will be shutting down power in the building at midnight for maintenance. Power should be back by 3 AM, or maybe 10 AM, depending on what happens.
Lunch at the Libby Trial, No News
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Wed, 02/28/2007 - 15:39After this morning’s big non-event, there wasn’t much Libby related stuff to talk about during lunch. The discussion at the table I was eating at veered from talking about judges and their clerks to some journalists talking about the old days of the AP versus UPI and what it was like trying to submit stories from Saigon over painfully slow wires.
No further clarification needed
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Wed, 02/28/2007 - 12:07The courtroom starts to fill up again. Both teams are on the field. Wells appears tobe joking around more and Fitzpatrick is talking more seriously
All Stand
Walton: The jury sent a note in response to my note for further clarification.
The note said:
No further clarification needed. Thank you, we apologize.
(more or less)
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Update: 11:38 There are plenty of heated arguments about what the question from the jury really means. I've got a copy of the question that I'll read through and see if I can make sense of it.
More waiting
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Wed, 02/28/2007 - 11:16After much waiting, the sealed matter before Judge Walton appears to have been handled and monitor comes on. The audio is delayed.
Judge Walton says, I have received the parties proposal about what I should say. I have some questions in my mind about what the jurors are asking. Walton is sending the note back, saying he is not exactly certain what they are asking.
Speculation about the note
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Wed, 02/28/2007 - 10:10The media crew is rolling in. There is plenty of speculation about the note that will be discussed at 9:30. What do we do with the extra Valentine’s Day T-Shirt? Can we get more Post-Its? What should we do if we can’t reach agreement on one of the counts? Do you really not want us to wear jeans? We want the art critic back. One person who was hear late last night says the note a not deadlock note; it is not an important note, he loudly claims.
