Me too flute. I’m betting they I’ll have to change counties for an impartial jury, but maybe not. This is from a different case but is dated today and does explain how our justice system works.
Superior Court Judge Robert Bell has denied the defendant Philip Michael Stroupe II’s motion to move his first-degree murder trial out of Henderson County. Lawyers for Stroupe argued that excessive pre-trial publicity makes it all but impossible for Stroupe to receive a fair trial locally. District Attorney Greg Newman responded by telling the court that moving the trial is premature and that he believes we can seat an impartial jury in this case. “There is no requirement that prospective jurors come to court uninformed about the things taking place in their community,”he said. “The question is whether they can set aside the things they have read, seen, or heard about the case and base a decision of guilt or innocence on the evidence presented in the trial. Some will be able to do that while others may not. We will not know, however, until we bring in the prospective jurors into court and ask them these questions.”
The defense lawyers offered results from a telephone poll of 407 Henderson County residents to measure knowledge of the case facts. Only 17 percent of persons polled knew anything about the case. Another 61 percent knew nothing about the case.
Judge Denies Stroupe's Motion To Move Trial, But Trial Date Will Be Reset
