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Indybay Feature

The jury in People v. Mehserle has been sworn in

by via e-mail
All 5 African Americans have been struck from the jury.
The jury in People v. Mehserle has been sworn in: all 5 African Americans have been struck from the jury. A number of Latinas will serve on the jury.

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The more it changes the more it stays the same, don't it.
The American legal system is a complete farce and this trial is no exception. Jury trials are completely staged and the prosecution, which usually relies on the police as witnesses, is certainly doing everything it can to let this cop literally get away with murder. Most juries consist of retired voters, usually property owners who favor this bankrupt society, or government workers, since they get paid full salary while sitting on juries, and they too usually favor this bankrupt society. The rest of us cannot afford to sit on a jury for a month and/or do not want anything to do with a trial of a cop.

The fact that no African Americans are on the jury makes it very clear that this is a defense jury. Since we can be sure this defendant has unlimited funds at his disposal from all the friends of the police across the country, at the very highest levels, you can be sure that the jury consists of friends of the police, at the very least in class outlook. Being Latino or Asian descent is irrelevant in this case and the same is true as to gender and sexual orientation. It is class and class outlook that matters when it comes to the police. Do you know how the jurors earn a living? Do you know how many are propety owners? Do you know how they vote? All of this information was certainly learned by the defense, so this information exists. This is called voir dire. If they completed the juror questionaire to the satisfaction of the defense, they are all utterly reactionary. The document says that the questionnaires are part of the public record of the case; only the names of the jurors are deleted. Be sure to read the whole despicable document at:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/06/08/18650151.php
Here are some notorious ones:
35. Have you ever belonged to or contributed money to any of the following or similar
special interest organizations? [This is the "anti-communist" question; no true blooded racist, reactionary American would have anything to do with these except the 2 gun organizations, and asking about similar organizations is outrageous.]
_ Amnesty International
_ American Civil Liberties Union
_ Handgun Control, Incorporated
_ National Rifle Association
_ NAACP
Other ________________________

MISCELLANEOUS
36. What newspapers, web cites[should be sites], periodicals or magazines do you read on a regular
basis? _________________________ (The decent answer to this kind of question is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. Such questions should not be allowed and the same is true for most of these questions).
37. What television and radio programs do you watch or listen to regularly?
38. What types of books do you read? _________________________
39. List any subject matter or genre in reading materials, television programs or movies
that you try to avoid __________________
40. How often do you watch television shows involving the police, crime, or justice?
_ Almost never _ Occasionally _ Very often
41. How often do you follow the news on crime on the radio, TV, internet or
newspapers? _ Almost never _ Occasionally _ Very often
42. Please identify the most important sources of news for you:
_ Newspaper _ TV _ Radio _ Internet _ Magazines _ Friends/Family
43. Have you written a letter to an editor? _ If yes, what was it about __________________
44. What hobbies/activities do you enjoy in your spare time, either now or in the past?
45. Do you consider yourself an expert on any subject? __________________ If yes, explain _________________________

The section, ATTITUDES REGARDING RACE, if completed to the satisfaction of the defense, can only guarantee an innocent verdict, and this is in "liberal" Los Angeles County. There is nothing liberal about racist, anti-workingclass USA, anywhere.

This reactionary jury comes after the judge allowed Oscar Grant's personal problems with the legal system to be admitted as evidence and to allow a defense "expert" to say that the prosecution's video is wrong.

The stench of racism and contempt for the workingclass permeates this entire case. Hopefully, the civil case will result in a good settlement. It also would not be good if that went to trial. Then we are still left with the existence of the BART police, which should be abolished, and the existence of tasers, which should be abolished everywhere.
by Kim Rohrbach
According to Thandisizwe Chimurenga's report, sounds like three were rejected during voir-smeer and the other two were peremptorily dismissed.
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