Since there was never enough evidence to try him al Sharpton Eric holder and Obama exploited the taxpayer again
On Thursday, July 18, 2013, MARK CARPENTER wrote: > > http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/17/zimmerman-trayvon-martin-sanford-jury-seminole-county/2530283/ > > Zimmerman jury sequestration included steaks, pedicures > Yamiche Alcindor and Mike James, USA TODAY 7:05 a.m. EDT July 18, 2013 > The jurors in the George Zimmerman murder trial were allowed to go > bowling, shop at the mall and go to the Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum > ** > [image: florida] > (Photo: USA TODAY file) > ** > **Story Highlights > > - Jurors got steak dinners, trips during sequestration > - Movies and mall shopping also provided > - Experts say costs were reasonable, not overly luxurious > > ** > > The sequestration of the jury that ultimately acquitted George Zimmerman > cost Florida taxpayers about $33,000 and allowed jurors creature comforts > such as dinner at Outback Steakhouse, a bowling excursion and a trip to the > Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum. > The Seminole County sheriff's office said in a statement that during the > sequestration, "Jurors had individual rooms and convened regularly in a > suite for meals and to socialize." > * > * > *JURY: *Consultant wanted all-female > panel<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/17/zimmerman-trayvon-martin-jury-consultant-killing-sanford/2530151/> > > The all-female jury of six was sequestered beginning on Friday, June 21, > and spent 22 nights at the Marriott in Lake Mary, Fla. > "Jurors watched television and movies, exercised at the hotel fitness > center, and spent weekends being visited by family and friends," the > sheriff's statement said, noting that jurors could also request visits from > members of the religious community. Anyone visiting members of the jury > were asked to sign an agreement indicating they would not discuss the case > with the jury member. > > Most breakfasts and dinners were provided through the hotel. Jurors dined > out a couple of times: at Outback Steakhouse in Sanford and at Amigo's in > Altamonte Springs. Dinner was also brought in from Giovanni's in Lake Mary. > Lunches typically took place at the courthouse with lunch brought in from > area restaurants. The group went out for lunch twice, both times to Senior > Tequila's in Winter Springs. > > **[image: zimmerman] > George Zimmerman, The Great White Hope > > George Zimmerman (R) stands with his attorney Don West during his murder > trial July 12 in Sanford, Fla.(Photo: Pool, Getty Images) > ** > "Jurors also enjoyed several evening and weekend excursions to include > bowling, shopping at the Volusia Mall, a day and dinner in St. Augustine > (to include a visit to the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum), manicures > and pedicures, and watching fireworks on the fourth of July," the sheriff's > office reported. "Jurors also went to the movies to see "World War Z" and > "The Lone Ranger. All movies viewed were preapproved by the court." > > Lawyers and legal experts said that although some of the expenses — such > as pedicures — might initially seem luxurious, the cost and the amenities > provided were not unreasonable. > > "It certainly seems reasonable to me that a woman would desire a bit of > personal grooming over 22 days," said Randy Reep, a Florida attorney. > "Going to the movies and having basic levels of entertainment — I cannot > see Ripley's to be extravagant — seems very reasonable over three weeks." > > Reep added, "These women of course are not criminals, yet we took them > from their families. While we did not say this then, now it is clear, half > of the country is going to very vocally find fault with your dedicated > effort. A Bloomin Onion at Outback would not adequately reimburse these > women for the bitterness" some will level at them for their jury service. > > Elizabeth Parker, a Florida criminal defense attorney and former assistant > state prosecutor, said the $33,000 total cost sounds fair. > "When a jury is sequestered for a significant amount of time, like in this > case, a judge has to be mindful of how their isolation from the outside > world could affect them and could potentially affect their ability to be > fair and impartial," Parker said. > > "Allowing the woman to get manicures and pedicures or enjoying other > activities is important to the mental well-being of these jurors who are in > a very stressful situation. Imagine four weeks of being confined to a > courtroom all day and a hotel room at night and on the weekend, without any > freedom or independence." > > Robert Hirschhorn, a jury consultant who was instrumental in helping > George Zimmerman's defense team pick an all-female jury, said $33,000 in > sequestration fees seemed low to him. The cost was a "small price to pay > for the enormity of the task the jurors undertook," Hirschhorn said. > > "They left their husbands, their children, their friends, their jobs, they > were essentially 'imprisoned' for three weeks," he said of the jurors. > "They could not watch what they wanted on TV, listen to the radio, read > what they want in the newspaper or surf the Web." > With no court on weekends or holidays, jurors needed things to do, he > added. > > "Almost every sequestered jury gets some type of field trip to pass the > time and distract them from the enormity of the task before them," > Hirschhorn said. > > Jurors were permitted to go to appointments for personal care if > accompanied by deputies. > > "All television, internet use, reading materials, mail, and phone calls > were screened, monitored and logged by deputies to ensure jurors were not > exposed to any trial information, or content related to the criminal > justice system," the sheriff's office said. "Jurors were permitted to > receive their cellphones once per day to check voice mails and make > telephone calls in the presence of a deputy." > > Jurors paid for their own personal purchases and appointment costs. The > sheriff's office paid for the movie and bowling excursions and the Ripley's > admission. Although exact costs are not yet available, the hotel cost was > approximately $1,000 daily, and meals were approximately $375 per day. The > excursion expenses were approximately $350. > > "In total, sequestrations costs were approximately $33,000," the sheriff's > office said. > > The sheriff's office is still compiling the agency's total costs > associated with the trial. Preliminary figures indicate the sheriff's > office spent approximately $320,000 on overtime, equipment, and other > trial-related expenses. > > > "I am trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, > kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. > Sometimes I am not all these things --but ten out of twelve isn't bad!" > > > > > > -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "PoliticalForum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
