Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #47

[Niner]

................. Whew! It took me 20 minutes searching WS and google to find the current thread as just heard going to trial. Haven't been here in years, need to catch up. I guess I need a better way to find old cases that are upcoming vs. expecting it to be on Websleuths' breaking news as the threads are long gone that I followed at the time and subscribed to.

Swimming upstream... when will it begin?

If I am following the same cases as you - I post these weekly - of what trials & sentencings are coming up for each month.

Trials & Sentencings set to begin May, 2021

 

[Niner]

Monday, May 17th:
*Jury Selection set to begin (@ 8am CT) – IA – Mollie Cecilia Tibbetts (20) (July 18, 2018, Brooklyn; found Aug. 21, 2018) – *Cristhian Bahena Rivera aka John Budd (24/now 26) arrested (8/21/18), charged (8/22/18) & arraigned (9/19/18) with 1st degree murder. Plead not guilty. $5M cash only bond.
ICE logged an immigration detainer on Rivera. Confessed to killing Mollie.
Trial set to begin on 5/17/21 with jury selection should last 2 days & trial starts on 5/19/21 (should last about 10 days). Trial moved from Poweshiek County to Scott County in Davenport. 12 jurors & 3 alternates will be seated.
Court hearings from 8/22/18 thru 5/10/21 reference post #722 here:
Found Deceased - IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #47
5/13/21: Order appointing court interpreter: Ana P. Pottebaum appointed. Indigent defense claim form: expenses #772.69. 5/13/21 Update: In advance of the trial, both sides filed a series of motions seeking to admit or block certain types of evidence. Judge Joel Yates addressed those at a pretrial hearing Thursday, granting some that neither party objected to but saying others will have to be addressed as the trial unfolds. Judge Yates said he would grant the polygraph motion "conditionally," excluding results of any polygraph testing but reserving judgment on any statements made during a polygraph test. For the other two matters, he said, he doesn't have enough information yet & will reserve ruling, "understanding that, at some point, we're going to need to address these.” Trial begins on 5/17/21.

 

[24Roses]

Rivera trial starts today with jury selection Nothing new in this article. Also doesn't say anything about livestreaming. I guess we will see come Wed.
Rivera Trial: Jury selection expected to last two days
Good article
The Disappearance and Death of Mollie Tibbetts: A Timeline Good review
https://twitter.com/ShannonMoudyTV Reporter for KGAN who will be covering the trial

 

[Alethea]

Good morning! A local option:

KCCI coverage: The Cristhian Bahena Rivera murder trial

KCCI will provide live coverage of the trial whenever possible on the KCCI Breaking News App, KCCI.com and the KCCI Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages. KCCI’s Chris Gothner will provide coverage of the trial and will provide live updates on Twitter.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 17, 2021
Fairness issues loom over trial in Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts' slaying | WCTI (wcti12.com)
[...]

Legal experts say ensuring a fair trial for Cristhian Bahena Rivera, the farmhand charged with first-degree murder in the 2018 slaying of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts, will be difficult given the extraordinary circumstances of the case.

Rivera's arrest inflamed anger over illegal immigration ahead of the midterm elections, with Trump weighing in to declare Rivera guilty almost immediately and Iowa's governor calling him a predator. ...

[...]

Lawyers outside the case say they are surprised that Judge Joel Yates only expects jury selection to take two days, and that both sides said they would not use an extended written questionnaire to learn more about jurors' views on critical issues.

Prospective jurors who admit to bias against noncitizens or non-English speakers could be disqualified, legal experts say. Trump supporters who remember his descriptions of Rivera as an "illegal alien" who came from Mexico to kill "an incredible, beautiful young woman" also may be blocked from hearing the case, they said.

[...]

"That seems like a really short time for jury selection, given the issues this case raises," said Iowa defense lawyer Dan Vondra, who routinely represents Spanish-speaking clients. "Jury selection is the best way that I have seen to get people to open up and talk about their background. If you limit that dialogue, that's where you run into the risk of having a mistake made."

[...]

 

[StarryStarryNight]

MAY 17, 2021
Fairness issues loom over trial in Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts' slaying | WCTI (wcti12.com)
[...]

Legal experts say ensuring a fair trial for Cristhian Bahena Rivera, the farmhand charged with first-degree murder in the 2018 slaying of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts, will be difficult given the extraordinary circumstances of the case.

Rivera's arrest inflamed anger over illegal immigration ahead of the midterm elections, with Trump weighing in to declare Rivera guilty almost immediately and Iowa's governor calling him a predator. ...

[...]

Lawyers outside the case say they are surprised that Judge Joel Yates only expects jury selection to take two days, and that both sides said they would not use an extended written questionnaire to learn more about jurors' views on critical issues.

Prospective jurors who admit to bias against noncitizens or non-English speakers could be disqualified, legal experts say. Trump supporters who remember his descriptions of Rivera as an "illegal alien" who came from Mexico to kill "an incredible, beautiful young woman" also may be blocked from hearing the case, they said.

[...]

"That seems like a really short time for jury selection, given the issues this case raises," said Iowa defense lawyer Dan Vondra, who routinely represents Spanish-speaking clients. "Jury selection is the best way that I have seen to get people to open up and talk about their background. If you limit that dialogue, that's where you run into the risk of having a mistake made."

[...]

I read this article a little bit ago and was pretty offended by it. I throws a ton of reasons into a basket as why this guy cannot possibly get a fair trial....because of politics, because he doesn’t speak English, because something Trump said four years ago, etc. In reality, this is probably the only country in the world where he WOULD get a fair trial.
I personally think Rivera is guilty, but I want and expect him to get a fair trial. People and the jury are smart enough to sort through the poppycock, to see the defendant as a person and not a political pawn, to weigh the actual evidence in this actual crime. All the outside junk that is being thrown in to try and clutter things don’t matter. This is a murder trial...period.

 

[Niner]

Will there be updates later on how many jurors have been picked & then again tomorrow?
Anyone know? TIA!

 

[PommyMommy]

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Photojournalist Brandon Green and I have arrived in Davenport, where we’ll be covering the trial of Cristhian Bahena Rivera, the man accused of killing Brooklyn college student Mollie Tibbetts back in 2018. Stay tuned to KCCI 8 News for coverage througho… https://ift.tt/3wb9Br

5:43 PM · May 16, 2021·IFTTT
https://twitter.com/CGothnerKCCI/status/1394061014703001603/photo/1
Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Assistant @AGIowa Scott Brown has been doing the questioning. Asking jurors about personal backgrounds, trust in judicial system/law enforcement, opinions on reasonable doubt. Also informing them that case will have circumstantial evidence, and can they weigh fairly? @kccinews
12:16 PM · May 17, 2021 from Davenport, IA·Twitter for iPhone
https://twitter.com/CGothnerKCCI/status/1394061014703001603/photo/1
Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
On recess from jury selection in the Cristhian Bahena Rivera trial. Some takeaways: As expected, most prospective jurors had heard of the case. Some had opinions, of those, some dismissed. There are 3 tranches of 12 jurors being Qed @ a time. So far, all prosecution Qs @kccinews
12:12 PM · May 17, 2021 from Davenport, IA·Twitter for iPhone
https://twitter.com/CGothnerKCCI/status/1394061014703001603/photo/1

 

[PommyMommy]

Emily Chavez on Twitter
Teal ribbons are placed throughout main street Brooklyn, Iowa to show support for Mollie Tibbetts. Kindness cards are also on display at local businesses to encourage others to pay kindness forward.

12:20 PM · May 17, 2021 from Iowa, USA·Twitter for iPhone

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 17, 2021
Suspect in Mollie Tibbetts’ murder held in Scott County Jail | OurQuadCities

[...]

Cristhian Rivera, 26, was booked into the Scott County Jail at 7:24 p.m. Sunday for “safekeeping,” according to Scott County records. Jury selection continues today at the RiverCenter, downtown Davenport.

[...]

Opening statements in the highly publicized case could begin as early as Wednesday in the trial that is a change of venue from Poweshiek County. ...

[...]

Jury selection begins in trial of Cristian Rivera; experts say it’ll be difficult to ensure fair trial (kwqc.com)
Lawyers for both sides will work to whittle a pool of 175 potential jurors down to 12 and three alternates. The trial is expected to last two weeks.

 

[BUF]

2 days for jury selection may have been overly optimistic. We’ll see...

https://twitter.com/ShannonMoudyTV/status/1394348002320568321

Sitting in on jury selection day 1 for the murder trial of Cristhian Bahena Rivera. So far about six potential jurors have been excused for their opinions on the case. Only one has no prior knowledge of case.
@iowasnewsnow

On lunch break now. No electronics allowed in the room (auditorium of River Center) where jury questioning is.

 

[katydid23]

So this judge must move things along pretty quickly if they think Opening Arguments will start by Wednesday morning....
And the trial is expected to last 2 weeks? A murder trial in 10 days of court time? That is pretty quick, especially considering all of the issues set before the court already.

 

[24Roses]

Cristhian Bahena Rivera trial jury selection underway
Brooklyn residents watching Christhian Bahena Rivera trial
Potential jurors warned of graphic evidence in Bahena Rivera murder trial
Articles basically have the same info. about jurors, but IMO they won't have a jury seated by Wed. 10 of first 12 jurors questioned had heard about the case and 5 already formed an opinion. If you live in Iowa, KCRG 9.2 will be airing the trial and it can also be watched online at KCRG. I most likely watch onKCRG 9.2 since I do have that channel. The coverage could be better than Court TV.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 17, 2021
Mollie Tibbetts case: Jury selection off to slow start in murder trial of Cristhian Rivera | OurQuadCities
[...,]

So far, the process to select jurors in this case has been slow moving: As of 3 p.m., no jurors had been selected at the RiverCenter today.

There were 223 potential jurors who reported this morning. Forty of those were sent to an unrelated case, so there were 183 potential jurors in the pool for the Rivera case, which is a change of venue from Poweshiek County.

[...]

Jury selection begins again at 8 a.m. Tuesday at the RiverCenter.

This slow first day may impact the timeline of the trial and when it was originally planned to hear opening statements.

 

[Niner]

Tuesday, May 18th:
*Jury Selection continues (Day 2) (@ 8am CT) – IA – Mollie Cecilia Tibbetts (20) (July 18, 2018, Brooklyn; found Aug. 21, 2018) – *Cristhian Bahena Rivera aka John Budd (24/now 26) arrested (8/21/18), charged (8/22/18) & arraigned (9/19/18) with 1st degree murder. Plead not guilty. $5M cash only bond.
ICE logged an immigration detainer on Rivera. Confessed to killing Mollie.
Trial began on 5/17/21 with jury selection should last 2 days & trial starts on 5/19/21 (should last about 10 days). Trial moved from Poweshiek County to Scott County in Davenport. 12 jurors & 3 alternates will be seated.
Court hearings from 8/22/18 thru 5/13/21 reference post #742 here:
Found Deceased - IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #47
5/17/21 Monday, Day 1 of Jury Selection: Court officials called 223 potential jurors to a downtown convention center for jury selection Monday morning; of those, 40 were sent to serve on another case in Scott County, leaving 183 potential jurors in the pool for the Rivera case. The parties are working to vet a pool of 37 potential jurors from whom the final jury can be selected. By the end of the day Monday, the parties had questioned 34 potential jurors, and selected 24 who will be part of the final jury pool. Of the remaining 10, nine told the court they had already formed an opinion about the case & were dismissed after being questioned in private by the judge & attorneys. The last was dismissed due to a lack of child care for the two weeks the case is expected to last. Jury selection continues on 5/18/21.

 

[Bordeaux]

I am more concerned about the rights of the deceased victim, the life that was needlessly taken from her, enforcement of laws, and keeping our communities safe.

 

[Bordeaux]

5/17/21 Monday, Day 1 of Jury Selection: Court officials called 223 potential jurors to a downtown convention center for jury selection Monday morning; of those, 40 were sent to serve on another case in Scott County, leaving 183 potential jurors in the pool for the Rivera case. The parties are working to vet a pool of 37 potential jurors from whom the final jury can be selected. By the end of the day Monday, the parties had questioned 34 potential jurors, and selected 24 who will be part of the final jury pool. Of the remaining 10, nine told the court they had already formed an opinion about the case & were dismissed after being questioned in private by the judge & attorneys. The last was dismissed due to a lack of child care for the two weeks the case is expected to last. Jury selection continues on 5/18/21.

They moved the trial out of the community where the crime took place. Then 183 potential jurors were called, which was whittled down to ten, nine of which had already formed an opinion. So perhaps that opinion is right?

If the legal system just wanted the case judged solely by the letter of the law and evidence submitted then the “jury” would be made up of well studied judges.

I understand the purpose of the jury serving as a verdict “by the people.” However a “jury of your peers” seems to introduce a “reasonable citizen variable” indicative of communities values.

 

[JudgeJoe]

They moved the trial out of the community where the crime took place. Then 183 potential jurors were called, which was whittled down to ten, nine of which had already formed an opinion. So perhaps that opinion is right?

If the legal system just wanted the case judged solely by the letter of the law and evidence submitted then the “jury” would be made up of well studied judges.

I understand the purpose of the jury serving as a verdict “by the people.” However a “jury of your peers” seems to introduce a “reasonable citizen variable” indicative of communities values.

Potential jurors are allowed to have opinions. They get disqualified when they indicate they cannot or will not set those opinions aside to hear the evidence & base their verdict on the evidence alone. They’ve only questioned 34 of 183 potential jurors. Per @Niner ’s post, they’ve approved 24 & need 37. So the 10 they disqualified seems actually low to me & selection clipping along. I’m thinking this trial may start on time- or be delayed minimally. Jmo

ETA: What would be waaay more interesting to me is- what questions are being asked? The numbers are just the numbers. How are they questioning these potential jurors & which questions are being answered in chambers?

 

[Bordeaux]

What would be waaay more interesting to me is- what questions are being asked? The numbers are just the numbers. How are they questioning these potential jurors & which questions are being answered in chambers?

Yes! Trials should be straightforward swift and public. Why the closed doors?

 

[katydid23]

Yes! Trials should be straightforward swift and public. Why the closed doors?

I agree, in theory and in an ideal world---but jurors also need privacy these days, especially with our social media trolls and doxing, etc.

So I think the judge wants to protect their identity and not have them answer personal questions on camera.

They are being asked 'do you have any immediate family that are in law enforcement?'

'Have you ever been arrested or been incarcerated? Have any of your children or immediate family or spouse been arrested or incarcerated? '

Nobody should have to answer on a livestream....