Tweet
It was a slow day for me at court on Wednesday. The jury process when on out of sight of the public for half of the day, and when it became “public,” there were so many potential jury members in the courtroom that there were literally added chairs put in the courtroom aisle to accommodate the large number of potential jurors. Only three journalists were allowed in the courtroom, and I wasn’t one of these. So, I waited for enough jurors to be excluded that reporters would be allowed in, and it turned out that never occurred. I wasn’t in a place to see the feed of the trial, so I missed the mini-opening statements. I’m hoping these are posted online somewhere, and I can review them soon.
I did find out that a few jurors were seated, and one of these seated jurors has a transgender family member, and has a transgender coworker. There were five potential jurors that were excluded for no stated reason — both prosecution and defense are allowed to exclude twelve potential jurors each without explanation. Frankly, I don’t recall which side excluded two and which side excluded three, but I do know that the total excluded for no stated reason was five.
Tomorrow, I’m expecting — really hoping — to be allowed into the courtroom’s media section at approximately 8:00 AM MDT, while the jury selection process should be actually start for the day at approximately 8:30 AM. Again, space in the courtroom is going to be the deciding factor of when I can enter the courtroom to begin covering the trial from that position. I have a courtroom specific job I’m here to do, and actually I’d like to begin doing it.
The jury is expected to be seated in the morning. If that happens early enough in the morning, then the opening arguments could begin as early as 11:00 AM. If not in the late morning, then the opening arguments are expected to begin right after the noon meal break at approximately 1:30 PM.
If I’m not in the courtroom for the rest of the jury selection (I’d like to hear some of the questions being asked by both sides), I’ll definitely be in the courtroom for opening arguments.
Well, that’s what occurred today, and what’s expected to happen tomorrow — The formal trial is to begin very soon.
7 Comments
Thanks Autumn… Get rest. Take your vitamins! We're hear 'listening'.
…oops talk about a typo!We are also HERE reading, of course.
Thanks for the updateJury selection is always an ordeal. But, it is always interesting to se how the jury is shaped.
BTW, I wish you were around to read and comment on the online argument I’m having with an L.A. standup comic and his fans.
The comic is exploiting a gay homeless man he’s describing as a “gay transvestite hobo” by posting videos of him on YouTube. (I don’t know if the man is trans — can’t really tell by the video. So, I’ll just refer to him as a male.)
In one video, the comic says that he attacked the man with a chair after he made a sexual advance. The videos are simply heartbreaking as the gay homeless man tries to touch the comic and the comic violently shoves him away.
I’ve written a diary about it and the comic has posted a message to me on YouTube that you have to see to believe.
Here’s the link to the diary:
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/…
I know you’re very busy with the trial, but I need some support on this issue. People just don’t understand that responding to a sexual advance with violence is wrong. This is the kind of thing that gets us beaten and killed.
The Denver Post reported thatthe volunteer mounted County Sheriff’s Posse was providing security, and that protesters had been expected to show up but had not. What in the world kind of protest were they expecting before the trial even started?
It has been known…For various Anarchist groups to hijack legit protests, especially ones with high emotive content.
It’s also been known for groups like the Westboro Baptists to make unscheduled appearances.
I think they over-estimate how many people give a damn one way or another if another tranny dies. Had Angie not been trans, a murder like this would have brought out lynch mobs.
I think they over-estimate how much the Left cares about Trans issues too. GLB maybe, but even that’s problematic.
Basically, they thought people would care, apart from Transpeople.
ZoeB has pretty much got it……”They” haven’t showed up, but folks like the God Hates Fags folks would be a concern if they do. Remember, a lot of folk think of trans people as super-homosexuals, and those God Hates Fags folk I believe did show up Gwen Araujo’s funeral.
Also, what’s not being reported so much nationally is that there is another trial is going on in the courthouse next door, and that one appears to be directly regarding gang violence. Trans people are not at the center of that at all, but be aware that part of why there is so much visible security is not just because of the Angie Zapata hate crime murder trial, but security is also visible and tight for a trial “next door” as much (or more) than it is for Allen Ray Andrade’s murder trial.
Here FRITZ…I worried about this all night. Here I would contact LAGAYLESBCenter.
Try this email first maybe: This is anti-violence contact.
They have been really good about getting back to me about other things referred.