GUILTY IN - Tammy Blanton, 46, murdered, mutilated, partially eaten, Jeffersonville, 11 Sept 2014 *appeal 2022 denied*

[YESorNO]

Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 8m8 minutes ago
In the first 15 minutes, three jurors have been dismissed because they’ve heard something in the news, said they’ve formed an opinion, and wouldn’t be able to be fair.


Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 7m7 minutes ago
Judge: “Could you put that opinion and what you know out of your mind and follow instructions?” Juror 7: “Once you know something, it’s kind of hard to un-know that.” Judge: (laughs, nods) “True, very true. You’re free to go.”


Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 10m10 minutes ago
As they’ve been going one by one through those of the first 16 that say they’ve heard about the case— the judge has already dismissed 8.


Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 9m9 minutes ago
Everyone has now agreed that before they start questioning the people who have not heard anything, they’ll go through every single juror 1 by 1 that has heard something.


Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 9m9 minutes ago
So once they weed through those, then they’ll be left with a pool of jurors who either haven’t heard anything or may have heard something but haven’t formed an opinion. The hope is this might get jurors seated more efficiently.

 

[YESorNO]

Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 19m19 minutes ago
At this point, they were able to get through a few more jurors. A total of nine have been dismissed. Four have been saved to be questioned more later. The judge then brought everyone back in, dismissed for lunch, & warned no one to talk.

 

[Niner]

Much appreciated YESorNO!!

 

[YESorNO]

Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 1h1 hour ago
We are back from lunch and starting with jurors again. Juror 31 is the first up. She read about the case two weeks ago and was struck by the rape and cannibalism details. She was released.


Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 1h1 hour ago
Some comic relief... Oberhansley’s attorney Bart Betteau asked a juror if she could forget something if instructed. His example: “Could you forget what I looked like?” Juror: “Oh yeah, I can forget what you look like. Trust me.” Betteau: “Wow, harsh.” Aaannndd everyone laughed.


Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 36m36 minutes ago
Most of the jurors they’re questioning are being quickly released because they’ve heard too much already. We’re up to 18 dismissed. But so far, they’ve saved 7 to question more in a bit. These 7 have heard very few details & have also said they could still be fair.


Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 16m16 minutes ago
I feel bad for juror 53. The prosecution and defense were arguing some lofty law concepts based on something he said. He looked completely confused, his eyes bugged out, and muttered a simple “woah.” I get it, man.


Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 9m9 minutes ago
Juror 53 was excused. But it’s a common feeling for these jurors. The court environment can be completely overwhelming. Some of the questions they’re being asked in this part of the process are very lofty legal concepts. Many are clearly nervous on the stand. I don’t blame them!

 

[YESorNO]

Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 6m6 minutes ago
The judge is calling a short break. So far, 31 jurors have been excused.

 

[YESorNO]

Aprile Rickert‏ @Aperoll27 24m24 minutes ago
Clark County court staff confirmed that as of 3 p.m. today, attorneys had not selected any jurors in the case of Joseph Oberhansley, accused if the murder of his ex-girlfriend in Jeffersonville in 2014.


Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 3m3 minutes ago
Back from break and the defense is filing a motion to stop this jury selection right now and start over in a different county. The argument is with how many jurors being eliminated so quickly, the pool will run dry before they can seat 12 & 4 alternates. @WDRBNews


Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 2m2 minutes ago
NEWS ALERT: Judge Carmichael is granting the motion. So the jury selection will start over in a completely different county, resetting the date for sometime in January or February 2020. @WDRBNews

 

[YESorNO]

Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 8m8 minutes ago
The judge brought in all the jurors left and let them all know they have been released. Some were shocked, most were relieved. Now the judge will take the time to find which county can accommodate the case, but it most likely will not get rolling again until next year.


Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 3m3 minutes ago
I asked Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull after the jury was dismissed & the trial is now delayed again — if this was something he expected could happen. – at Hamilton County Government and Judicial Center

(video clip: Katrina Helmer on Twitter )

 

[YESorNO]

Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 2m2 minutes ago
I also asked Mull if it was frustrating that the trial is being delayed again. Next week will mark five years since Tammy Jo Blanton was murdered.

(video clip: Katrina Helmer on Twitter )

 

[YESorNO]

CLARK COUNTY
Report: Joseph Oberhansley jury selection called off until next year

September 4, 2019

"...N&T reporter Aprile Rickert tweeted Wednesday afternoon that a second round of jury selection was called off, and that the trial wouldn’t start until January or February....."

Report: Joseph Oberhansley jury selection called off until next year

 

[YESorNO]

Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 7m7 minutes ago
Oberhansley’s attorney Bart Betteau agreed to talk afterwards. I asked if he expected this outcome. Betteau had filed a motion before today asking to move to another county.

(video clip: Katrina Helmer on Twitter )


Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 2m2 minutes ago
I asked if there are concerns delaying the trial even more, the impact that has on the case and his client.

(video clip: Katrina Helmer on Twitter )


Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 2m2 minutes ago
Betteau said all the media reports have been one sided and negative towards his client, so I asked him to give his side.

(video clip: Katrina Helmer on Twitter )

 

[YESorNO]

Katrina Helmer‏ @KatrinaWDRB 5m5 minutes ago
Finally, I asked if he thinks moving to another county will actually provide a fair and impartial jury.

(video clip: Katrina Helmer on Twitter )

 

[YESorNO]

Aprile Rickert‏ @Aperoll27 58m58 minutes ago
Clark County court staff confirm they have called off jury selection in Hamilton County and will set a pretrial conference to decide a new county from which to select a jury. The trial will now he held in January or February.



Aprile Rickert‏ @Aperoll27 24m24 minutes ago
Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull said of the 75 people called in for jury selection today in Joseph Oberhansley's case, all but 19 were dismissed because they had prior knowledge of the case through news media. They did not start voir dire with the 19.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull confirmed to WLKY that Judge Vicki Carmichael the jury selection will be held in a different county, and the trial will begin next year.
Indiana murder, cannibalism trial halted again; jury will be selected in new county

 

[BlackCloud]

5 years and they're still selecting jurors...ridiculous...

 

[YESorNO]

UPDATE: Oberhansley trail could be delayed until January

Sept 4, 2019

"HAMILTON COUNTY — A five-year-old Clark County murder case will again be delayed after attorneys called off the second run of jury selection due to so many in the jury pool having knowledge of the case from media reports....

On Wednesday, state and defense attorneys were back in Hamilton County for jury selection, with hopes to start opening statements within the next several days. There were 75 people summonsed to court for jury selection but by 4 p.m., only about 20 were left who said they had not been exposed to details of the case through the news.

And that doesn't count attorneys questioning those jurors on potential hardships of serving, being interviewed about their ability to be impartial in the case or with attorneys using their challenges.

"We probably in all likelihood would have ended up with zero people out of 75 by the end of the day," Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull said. "It just became clear that we were not going to be able to get a jury of 16 people selected from this panel."

But attorneys were aware of this before they got to the Hamilton County courtroom Wednesday morning — the defense had even filed an objection to the jury coming from this county last week, which was denied by the court.

"We knew it was an issue as to whether we could get a jury from Hamilton County simply because there was a huge amount of press when jury selection occurred the first time," defense attorney Bart Betteau said. "And then of course with the mistrial, there was a great deal of press about it coming back.

"We ran out of jurors simply because so many people were honest and said that they wouldn't be able to judge it just from the facts presented in the courtroom because they had heard so much outside."

What happens next is a pretrial conference to select a new county — one attorneys say is outside of the Louisville, southern and central Indiana media markets. But it could be January or February before the case will again go to trial....

Defense attorney Nick Karaffa said despite the delays, Oberhansley is adamant about continuing with a jury trial...."

UPDATE: Oberhansley trail could be delayed until January

 

[Niner]

Oh geez.... her poor family has to wait longer for justice....

and again THANKS YESorNO for all the tweets & articles!

 

[YESorNO]

Despite another delay, prosecutor won't offer murder suspect plea deal

Sep 5, 2019

"CLARK COUNTY, Ind. —
A southern Indiana prosecutor said despite another setback in a high-profile murder case, he is not willing to offer the defendant, Joseph Oberhansley, a plea deal....

Mull said the courts are currently working to try and find another county where an unbiased jury could be selected.

He promised there would not be a plea deal, only a trial.

"The only outcome that is acceptable to me is that he is convicted of the crimes he's charged with and that a life sentence is handed down to him to where he doesn't ever get out of jail again," Mull said.

Mull is hoping a jury could be selected in the coming weeks, but if that does not happen, he said the trial would likely begin next year. The trial is expected to last anywhere from two to three weeks, and during that time, jurors would be sequestered in Clark County."

Despite another delay, prosecutor won't offer murder suspect plea deal

 

[Niner]

Don't know if this is an old article or not, as I can't access this, even with Outline.

Jury selection in Oberhansley case to take place away from Louisville, Indianapolis areas


Any "new" dates in it? TIA!

 

[YESorNO]

Don't know if this is an old article or not, as I can't access this, even with Outline.

Jury selection in Oberhansley case to take place away from Louisville, Indianapolis areas


Any "new" dates in it? TIA!

"...The new trial could start in early 2020, but things could move a bit faster.

"I think if we can get the facilities lined up we could be back at this in a few weeks," Mull said.

Once a jury is selected, the process will stay the same. The jurors will be sequestered and bused over to Clark County for trial.

Attorneys are expecting to have a pretrial conference in coming weeks to address possible dates and locations for jury selection. "

Jury selection in Oberhansley case to take place away from Louisville, Indianapolis areas

 

[YESorNO]

Tammy Jo Blanton's friend begs for closure 5 years after brutal murder

Sep 11, 2019

"CLARK COUNTY, Ind. (WDRB) -- Hand her on her hip, posing for the camera, Tammy Jo Blanton was with group of friends in the summer of 2013, having a good time down at the RiverStage in Jeffersonville.

The picture is a perfect snapshot of Blanton, radiating confidence and joy.

Her friend shared the photo, saying Blanton had the biggest smile and a big personality to match it.

Had.

The picture is now a painful reminder of what the world is missing....

The murder has so affected the friend who shared the picture with WDRB News that she moved out of state. She agreed to an interview as long as her identity would be protected....

It is expected a date and county could be selected in the next few days...."


Tammy Jo Blanton's friend begs for closure 5 years after brutal murder