Wonkette
The jurors in the corruption trial for corrupt Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens are now in their second day of deliberations, and they’re having trouble! It seems one among them is running around the jury room shouting schizoid psychobabble at the others, which is just not productive at all, and so the other jurors have tattled on her! “In a note to the judge, jurors asked that one of their panel be sent home. The note described the female juror as rude, disrespectful and unreasonable.” We hear that this lady juror’s name is Michele and she’s been calling her colleagues “anti-America” whenever they say anything.
The judge has responded to the jurors by telling them all to grow up and stop being so mean to each other. This is good for the defense, because it only takes one crazy cat lady to hold her ground for a hung jury and accordant mistrial.
And in this jury, all it takes is one Republican and/or Democrat! The verdict here is likely to determine exclusively whether or not Ted Stevens will keep his Senate seat in November, and the Democrats need a win in Alaska to have any hope of reaching the filibuster-proof 60 seats, so pretty much everything ever is on the line in that jury room, and it would be a shock if this thing didn’t end in a mistrial.
Stevens Jury Reports Chaos; Judge Urges Calm [Washington Post]
Fuck. Well, no one ever said defeating tyranny would be easy.
Of course there’s an angry, paranoid, unreasonable, psychotic person at the trial of Ted Stevens. Oh wait, other than the defendant?
Isn’t early detection of “teh crazy” the reason they screen jurors in the first place?
That crazy lady is holding out for an addition on her house and some nice furniture to put in it….
What’s the chances of finding a certifiably crazy person in a random group of 12 people in Alaska who can’t get out of jury duty? 100%.
Probably a Palin supporter who wants to make sure a spot reserved for her when the Tribulation arrives and everyone who doesn’t hate America has to flee to Alaska from the lower 48.
Wait, wait. I’ve heard this one… she’s wearing a Star Trek uniform, right?
So there are non-crazy people in Alaska? I’m confused.
The article is subscriber only, you Elitists.
Hung Jury (harhar).
The trial’s in DC, not Alaska.
Bring in Bono!
Wait a minute…Michele Bachmann is on the Ted Stevens jury?
Check her bank account for large deposits recently (or after the mistrial is declared).
On second thought, Ted Stevens does deserve a jury of his peers.
With defenses such as “he’s a good man” and “I respect him” those deliberations should have been over within 15 minutes yesterday. This is like the O.J. trial for a wrinkly old man.
shortsshortsshorts: yeah, you have to register with the Wapo on line, but it is worth it (free).
This is why Alaska needs the death penalty for all crimes.
He would not be convicted by a jury of his peers.
Hmmm. Somebody on the jury must’ve slipped up and told Catherine Stevens that Bill Allen had delayed her weekly truckload of anti-sagging cream.
Where do they even find these jurors? To be impartial, you need to not know Ted Stevens and be completely politically neutral. So, your talent pool consists of people who have no fucking idea what’s going on in the country around them. And they’re trusted with making this decision. I mean, even bitters have political opinions, you need to find a room of people of sub-bitter awareness.
Someone wants a mistrial. Hmm. Now who would want that?
Jim Newell: Ha ha, I have been so brainwashed but the librul media that when I hear “crazy” I just assume they’re talking about Alaska.
I will now go seek absolution from St. Bono Of The New York Times.
mattbolt: worse, people who live in DC who have no idea what is going on, and you get an idea of that just by walking around here. Yoou are saturated with news.
Jim Newell:
Thanks for the clarification, Jim. At first I was going to blame teh crazy on ammonia poisoning that I’m sure most Alaskans suffer; lot’s of salmon in that diet.
Now we know it’s just the DC public water supply. Yummy jet fuel.
— “… the female juror as rude, disrespectful and unreasonable.” —
Point?
They truly found a jury of his peers.
The crazy Ted Stevens’ juror and the lady who tried to handcuff Karl Rove should have a show together– “The Odd Couple: 2008″.
This is one way to get the retrial started after the election so as to not make Alaskans look more crazy/greedy than they are already.
Doglessliberal: I wonder if there were any hand signals between her and Stevens lawyer.
I remember this from the fourth season of The Sopranos. Except the mob was content with subtlely threatening a man’s life and family. It takes GOP tacticians to pay a woman to go batshit insane.
Wonder if she wobbles around the jury room saying, “I don’t trust Obama… He’s a… I read… He’s an Arab… No?”
Wait, there are non-crazy women in Alaska?
Cape Clod: true story: I was cross examining a witness once and she was pausing before each answer. I caught on that she was getting answers from her husband, who was partially obscured by their lawyer at the defense table. He was overtly signaling and nodding his head to her. It was unreal. I was PISSED. Luckily, when I invited the judge’s attention to this little charade, he was, too. Didn’t do a lot for the credibility of her testimony. Oh, and it was a bench trial, so their pissing off the judge didn’t help. Heh.
I understand the prosecution chose not to present the taped phone conversations between Stevens and the contractor. Isn’t that more of a problem than one paper-slippered juror?
If you think this woman is REALLY crazy, then you’ve never served on a jury in DC. From the sound of it, I’d say she’s right about average.
Wait, how did Bachmann make it past voir dire?
someone needs to take away that notepad from that pussy foreman
Eleanor Abernathy, I love you and your cats!
Well, at least crazy ranting Stevens is being tried by his peer.
Jurors don’t find the situation appealing, but lawyers certainly will be. Sounds like they got to 11-1 guilty and everybody wanted to go home, hence “she didn’t follow the rules.” Big question: if they acquit after Ted insisted his wife did it, will the state go after the missus?
Doglessliberal: Whoa, you do fancy things for work.
I’m surprised that Nadine survived voir dire. But good on her, she’s got her audience at last …