GUILTY GA - Antonio Santiago, 13 mos, Brunswick, 21 March 2013 - #3

[Hickory Born]

I have never heard our judicial system referred to as a shark tank.

Pastor Adkins is also hoping this trial and every other trial that has involved youth sends a message out to the nation.

"The truth of the matter is that the justice system is a shark tank and if you don't want to get eaten by sharks then you need to stay out of the water. I'm hoping that this sends a message to all these young boys, this eruption of black and black crime, I'm hoping this sends a message that 'hey if you don't do the right thing you could be in that chair where De'Marquise Elkins is sitting and tomorrow could be a day that's the beginning of a time that's going to define the rest of your life," added Adkins.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/.../Murder-trial-for-Brunswick-teen-begins-today

 

[Minette]

Translation: don't SHOOT BABIES IN THE FACE and you won't end up on trial for murder.

Seriously, I can't say I've ever heard our justice system described as a 'shark tank,' either. That's an odd one, for sure.

 

[Hickory Born]

News 4 Jax has a reporter that is tweeting updates during the day. I have got to figure out how to check his twitter acct. in this report he talks about potential jurors.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/georgi...ddler/-/475792/21510270/-/fx2r8v/-/index.html

This article shows Tim PUlliam's tweets of today.

 

[Minette]

Let's try this:

https://twitter.com/TimPulliam

 

[Minette]

And heeeeeeere we go! Gough claims the jury selection pool is biased because there are no black men. According to him, this is deliberate.

But Glynn County Assistant District Attoney Andrew Ekonomou challenged the notion that some type of scheme was in play to leave black jurors out of Kelley’s courtroom.
“Did you, as the jury commissioner, select jurors that were predominantly white to send to Judge Kelley’s courtroom?” he asked Matthews.
“No,” she replied.
Dissatisfied with Matthews’ answers, Gough demanded the judge repanel the jury candidates Tuesday morning.
“That disparity is so great that it cannot be attributed to a random event,” Gough said.
As he did to Gough’s first mention of the issue, Kelley denied the motion.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/jury-selection-begins-in-fatal-shooting-of-brunswi/nZSL6/

 

[Hickory Born]

Minetta, thank you for the tweet link.

This is going to be a mess. 15 black men had been called for jury duty, but all 15 were late to court.

http://onlineathens.com/local-news/...ins-baby-stroller-murder-trial?#comment748169

Defense attorneys say there are too few blacks and young people among potential jurors because they arrived late to the courthouse. Cobb County court administrators assign the latecomers to wait in reserve.

“We believe that has an impact on the representation of African-American men,” said Kevin Gough, the Brunswick public defender representing De’Marquise Elkins.

Gough said there were 15 black men in the reserve pool and several black women.

Glynn County Superior Court Judge Stephen Kelley agreed to allow Gough to question the Cobb jury administrator this morning when jury selection continues.

 

[Hickory Born]

http://mdjonline.com/view/full_stor...urors-know-of-infamous-case?mobile_view=false

"Ten of the 48 potential jurors interviewed Monday were excused. "

 

[noZme]

Gough is a showman & will always seek the spotlight at center stage. I suspect he will become more unlikable as this case proceeds.

Random jury selection in Georgia is what it is. It would be difficult anywhere to fill his jury seats with young, poor, AA guys who think it's ok to murder a sleeping baby during a robbery.

Some demographics of Cobb County;
http://www.city-data.com/county/Cobb_County-GA.html

And Glynn , where the crimes occurred:
http://www.city-data.com/county/Glynn_County-GA.html

 

[Hickory Born]

From today's Brunswick newspaper:

"
During a late evening hearing on Gough's motion to enlarge the panel of potential jurors brought to the courtroom today, Cobb County Jury Administrator Debbie Matthews testified that potential jurors are assigned to panels sent to different courtrooms by random computer selection.

Kelley denied Gough's motion to expand the panel. "

 

[Hickory Born]

This is strictly a personal post. I am heading to one of the Glynn County islands this coming Friday for over two weeks and will be in the area when the verdict is reached. I am a little nervous about backlash/riots.

 

[ohiogirl]

Tim Pulliam ‏@TimPulliam 4h

Court Administrator: Jury selection will now start at 9:30. Selection will take right away. Opening statements before noon. @wjxt4

 

[ohiogirl]

Tim Pulliam ‏@TimPulliam 3h

Court is now in session for #elkins #juryselection. I'm counting 38 jurors today. 10 have been dismissed

 

[ohiogirl]

Tim Pulliam ‏@TimPulliam 3h

I'm counting 6 minorities out of 38 potential jurors. 3 of them are black women. The youngest one appears to be in her 20's. @wjxt4 #elkins

Tim Pulliam ‏@TimPulliam 3h

A paper is being passed back and forth between the defense/prosecution. They are selecting who they want. It's called silent strikes @wjxt4

 

[Hickory Born]

This site posted the full Brunswick newspaper article.

http://www.gopusa.com/news/2013/08/...ase-of-teens-who-shot-a-baby-in-his-stroller/

 

[ohiogirl]

Tim Pulliam ‏@TimPulliam 3h

All jurors are headed back to Jury Assembly room. 5 min recess. @wjxt4 I expect to see fewer potential jurors after break.

 

[ohiogirl]

Tim Pulliam ‏@TimPulliam 3h

Court back in session. No jurors. A witness for the defense has been called to stand, Jeffrey O Martin, expert on jury composition. @wjxt4

 

[ohiogirl]

Tim Pulliam ‏@TimPulliam 3h

Attorney Kevin Gough does not feel this is a jury if De'Marquise Elkins peers. This witness is an effort to support this claim @wjxt4

 

[ohiogirl]

Tim Pulliam ‏@TimPulliam 3h

Jeffery Martin: "the statics show there's something systematically wrong" @wjxt4 #elkins #juryselection
Expand
Tim Pulliam ‏@TimPulliam 3h

Jeffrey Martin: 12 to 13 people out of the 48 potential jurors should be African American--not 3. @wjxt4 #elkins #juryselection
Expand
Tim Pulliam ‏@TimPulliam 3h

Jeffrey Martin: Cobb County's population is 511,591. African American's make up 23% of the population. White's make up 61%

 

[Minette]

I don't know, but I can't help but feel that it will be hard to find a jury composed of Elkins' peers regardless of their race, i.e. the subset of society who thinks it is OK to SHOOT A BABY IN THE FACE over some pocket change.

 

[ohiogirl]

Tim Pulliam ‏@TimPulliam 3h

Defense has called Deborah Mathews, a Jury Administrator for Cobb County. @wjxt4