2 EXCUSED; MENENDEZ JURY RESTARTS.Byline: Anne Burke Daily News Staff Writer Deliberations in the Menendez brothers murder retrial retrial n. a new trial granted upon the motion of the losing party, based on obvious error, bias or newly-discovered evidence. (See: newly-discovered evidence) were disrupted Thursday when the forewoman and a pregnant juror juror n. any person who actually serves on a jury. Lists of potential jurors are chosen from various sources such as registered voters, automobile registration or telephone directories. were excused because of serious medical conditions See carpal tunnel syndrome, computer vision syndrome, dry eyes and deep vein thrombosis. . Judge Stanley Weisberg replaced the women with two alternates. He ordered the panel, which had deliberated about 37 hours, to start over from scratch. "You must . . . set aside and disregard all past deliberations and begin deliberating anew a·new adv. 1. Once more; again. 2. In a new and different way, form, or manner. [Middle English : a, of (from Old English of; see of) + new ," Weisberg told the group. "This means that each remaining original juror must set aside and disregard the earlier deliberations as if they had not taken place." Weisberg told lawyers not to divulge the nature of the medical problems experienced by Jurors 1 and 9. But the judge said the problems occurred Wednesday night and the women no longer were able to continue deliberating murder charges against the brothers, Erik and Lyle Menendez. The replacement jurors, a male and female, changed the gender makeup of the panel to eight men and four women. Two of the original six alternates remain. Thursday's development elicited dramatically different reactions from the prosecution and defense. Prosecutor David P. Conn, smiling broadly, told reporters he remained confident the panel would return first-degree murder verdicts. "I think we have a good group," Conn told reporters. Erik's chief lawyer, Leslie Abramson Leslie Abramson (born c. 1944) is a famous American criminal defense attorney best known for her role in the legal defense of Lyle and Erik Menendez. In 2004, she was hired by Phil Spector, who is charged with fatally shooting actress Lana Clarkson at his suburban Alhambra mansion, , who favors women jurors, told reporters she was "not happy." But she added the dismissals were unavoidable because of the serious nature of the medical conditions. The panel went back to work about 11:40 a.m. Thursday, with the task of electing a new foreman or forewoman. Although the panel is obligated ob·li·gate tr.v. ob·li·gat·ed, ob·li·gat·ing, ob·li·gates 1. To bind, compel, or constrain by a social, legal, or moral tie. See Synonyms at force. 2. To cause to be grateful or indebted; oblige. to start from the beginning, Conn said the jury may work faster and finish its work sooner. He said he was not worried that the jury had failed to reach agreement after seven days. The case went to the jury March 1, after a 5-1/2-month trial. "It was a very long trial and the number of days they spent deliberating is not unusual for a trial of this length," Conn said. Even before Thursday's dismissals, illness had been a problem. The group had already missed two days of work because of medical problems. The brothers admit they fatally shot their wealthy parents, Jose, 45, and Kitty, 47, in the family's Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. mansion Aug. 20, 1989. But they claim they did so following years of physical, sexual and psychological abuse. Prosecutors claim the brothers killed for their parents' $14 million fortune, and to gain their independence. New jurors are a 59-year-old white housewife, married with four children, and a 34-year-old, white postal carrier, also married. Both are Sylmar homeowners. The excused forewoman is a 55-year-old Chatsworth widow who works as a supervisor for the Immigration and Naturalization Service Noun 1. Immigration and Naturalization Service - an agency in the Department of Justice that enforces laws and regulations for the admission of foreign-born persons to the United States INS . The second excused juror was pregnant when the jury was impaneled in October. She is a 31-year-old Department of Water and Power billing specialist from La Crescenta, married to a San Marino San Marino, city, United States San Marino (săn mərē`nō), residential city (1990 pop. 12,959), Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1913. Of interest is the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. police officer. Weisberg ordered the excused jurors not to talk about the case. |
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