He faced a 138-member all-white jury pool

trumad

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Mon Jan-14-08 09:49 PM
Original message

He faced a 138-member all-white jury pool

Damn--- I've been to Ocala many times and I could have sworn I've see a couple of black folks.

OCALA:
Actor Wesley Snipes prayed with friends and supporters for "favor, fairness and deliverance" today before arriving at the federal courthouse for his trial on tax-evasion charges.

Snipes, 45, star of the Blade trilogy and other films, was flanked by an entourage of lawyers -- and a publicist -- as the proceedings began with jury selection. He faced a 138-member all-white jury pool, a crucial point for the African American actor whose lawyers argued unsuccessfully for a change of venue claiming Ocala was "the most racially discriminatory venue available."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-bk-taxevasion-011408,0,3968009.story?coll=orl_tab01_layout

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madeline_con

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Mon Jan-14-08 10:03 PM
Response to Original message

1. Ocala demographic profile...

http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/popInfo.php?locIndex=8779

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trumad

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Tue Jan-15-08 08:13 AM
Response to Reply #1

3. Thanks for that...

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TomInTib

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Mon Jan-14-08 10:09 PM
Response to Original message

2. Good thing he's not on trial in my Town.

Jeebus, I just checked our demographics.

http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/popInfo.php?locIndex=10978

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Marrah_G

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Tue Jan-15-08 08:24 AM
Response to Original message

4. Not sure what he is saying

Is he asking why the jury pool doesn't match the demographics, or is he asking to have the trial in a mostly black area, an area he chose not to live in.

I'm curious to know why no black jurors in an area that is 22 % black. But on the other hand, if he chooses to live in a rich, white, affluent area, he cannot then say "my neighbors are too white to judge me".

Anyone have more background on this story?

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Tesha

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Tue Jan-15-08 08:44 AM
Response to Reply #4

5. Are you kidding?

> I'm curious to know why no black jurors in an area that is 22 % black.

Are you kidding?

Tesha

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Marrah_G

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Tue Jan-15-08 08:46 AM
Response to Reply #5

6. Nope not kidding

(yes I really do get why)

I would like to know what the official reason is though.

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TCJ70

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Tue Jan-15-08 09:44 AM
Response to Reply #4

7. I don't know how jury selection works...

...if it's random, it's entirely possible that no black people were randomly selected from the pool. It's a small chance, but it's still there.

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