Request For Sequestration

Last Friday court papers revealed that Attorneys for Michael’s doctor Conrad Murray asked for a sequestered jury in the upcoming trial for involuntary manslaughter in Michael’s death.

They have based their argument on another US case of a woman, Casey Anderson, who was acquitted of the murder of her two-year-old daughter.

The unpopular acquittal enraged many people who had been following the case in the media. Murray’s attorneys insisted that media coverage of high-profile trials like that of Casey Anthony, “demonstrated the danger that is created to a fair trial when basic information is managed for the purpose of entertainment and television ratings.”

“There is reasonable expectation that Dr. Murray’s trial will be the most publicized in history,” attorneys Edward Chernoff and Nareg Gourjian wrote in court papers given to Judge Michael Pastor, calling it “Pollyanna, (naïve) to expect the jury members to go home each workday and weekend for six weeks and entirely avoid the mass of exposure this trial will engender.”

“It is necessary to sequester the jury in order to ensure that it is free from outside influences and guarantee the defendant a fair trial by an impartial jury,” the attorneys wrote.

“Although there is a cost with ordering sequestration, it is comparatively minimal compared to the costs that would be incurred by a retrial or new trial that would be required as a result of contamination.”

After Judge Pastor reviews the request, a hearing is scheduled for August 25th. Jury selection is scheduled to start on September 8th, and opening statements on September 26th.

Source: newyork.ibtimes.com & MJWN