When a jury summons could arrive in the mail any day, it helps to know what’s fact and what’s fiction about jury service. A federal judge, juror, and two jury administrators answered frequently asked questions about jury service to dispel misconceptions about serving on a jury.
Judiciary News – United States Courts… Read the rest
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In a brief order with no recorded dissents, the Supreme Court refused to block the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith, a 57-year-old inmate who is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 7 p.m. EST on Thursday in Alabama. Smith was convicted for the 1988 murder of Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett, whom he was hired to kill by her husband, Rev. Charles Sennett.
By a vote of 11 to 1, the jury in Smith’s 1996 capital trial recommended that he … Read the rest
— ANALYSIS —
Today the U.S. Court for the Western District of Texas is giving its first attention since Aug. 15 to the criminal case involving former Blue Bell chief Paul Kruse.
“The court hereby sets and directs the parties, or counsel acting on their behalf, to appear by phone for an initial pretrial conference on 10/05/2022 at 10:10 AM, “ the federal case dockets says.
The court declared a mistrial in the case on Aug. 15 after a jury trial broke … Read the rest
AUSTIN — The timeline played the starring role during the opening arguments at the jury trial of the United States v Paul Kruse.
Department of Justice attorney Matthew Lash for the prosecution and Houston defense attorney Chris Flood opened the trial. Taken together, they suggested that a food company, during an investigation, can fully cooperate with FDA and state agencies but still face conspiracy and fraud charges if it does not respond with thorough responses to public inquiries that may … Read the rest
After more than a year of working to conduct justice in the face of a global pandemic, federal courts are being buffeted by omicron, whose rapid speed of transmission is making jury trials more vulnerable to COVID-19 interruptions.
Judiciary News – United States Courts… Read the rest