death penalty news June 4, 2004
NEW YORK: 400 remain in jury pool for Parker murder trial Final selection to be made in Sept. The jury pool for Broome County's first capital case in 62 years has been whittled to 400 potential jurors at the end of the first round of jury selection. More than 1,000 prospective jurors for the first-degree murder trial of Vernon E. Parker Jr., 34, were summoned over the past 2 1/2 weeks for potential jury service in the case, said Broome County Jury Commissioner Christopher J. Esworthy. The selection process has so far run on schedule. "That should get them the jurors they need," Esworthy said. The last of 10 potential jury panels came to court Thursday. Opening arguments in the case are scheduled for Sept. 13. Parker, of Randallstown, Md., is accused in the July 20, 2002, slaying of Valerie Spears, 50, and her 14-year-old daughter, Devin. The two were shot to death in their South Side Binghamton home. Co-defendant Robert L. Williams Jr., 35, of Baltimore also faces the death penalty. His trial on murder charges has not yet been scheduled. Both have pleaded innocent. Between 60 and 65 percent of the more than 1,000 summoned asked for and were granted hardship excuses by Broome County Judge Martin E. Smith. Their role in jury selection is over, Esworthy said. Broome County District Attorney Gerald F. Mollen, his chief assistant district attorney, Joann Rose Parry, and Parker's defense attorneys, William Easton and Daniel Flood, both of the Capital Defender Office, will begin reviewing questionnaires filled out by the 400 prospective jurors who remain, Esworthy said. Beginning June 14, small groups of prospective jurors will be called back to court for individual questioning by prosecutors and defense attorneys on their beliefs about capital punishment. Esworthy's staff will make the telephone calls to let potential jurors know when to report back to Broome County Court. Capital case jurors must be "death qualified," meaning that they must be able to hand down a death sentence in certain circumstances. If convicted of first-degree murder, Parker will either be sentenced to the death penalty or to life in prison without parole, state laws dictate. Prosecutors and defense attorneys expect to question five to six people in morning sessions and the same number in the afternoon, Esworthy said. That process could take more than a month, court officials said. Final jury selection will take place Sept. 10 with the selection of 12 jurors. Six alternate jurors will also be named, Mollen said. The number of potential jurors who did not seek to be excused was higher than expected, Esworthy said. Prospective jurors could be excused on the basis of medical, financial and transportation hardships. They could also be excused if they were the primary caretakers for infants and small children, the elderly, or for people with illnesses or disabilities. (source: pressconnects.com) ==================== NEW YORK / USA: DEADLINE SCREENING AT HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH FILM FESTIVAL We are excited to announce that the documentary film Deadline (previously titled Life After Death Row) will have its New York premier at the 2004 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival. Though Deadline will be airing on NBC July 30th, the film is screening for audiences at various film festivals to kick-off our national outreach campaign. As a New York based production we are incredibly happy to have the opportunity for the film to be seen in the city. Even if you can't attend, please spread the word about both Deadline and the film festival. The screening dates and times are as follows: June 12th at 6:30pm - Reception After Film Sponsored by NYWIFT, June 15th at 3pm, June 21st at 8:45pm All Screenings will be at The Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center, West 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam, one flight up on the plaza level. Tickets will be available this Friday, May 14th on the Walter Reade website: http://filmlinc.com/wrt/boxoff/box.htm or by phone: 212-496-3809. They are expected to go quickly so please purchase tickets as soon as possible. About Deadline: In 2002, a group of Northwestern journalism students discover that three Illinois death row inmates received wrongful convictions. As a statewide debate on capital punishment ensues, Governor George Ryan, a longtime death penalty advocate, is the only person capable of granting clemency to 160 death row inmates. With remarkable access to the clemency hearings and insightful interviews with key figures, Deadline delivers a taut, pulsing narrative that follows Ryan to his astonishing decision. (source: MediaRights.org)
