When you're a peer of the realm, you expect to be judged by a jury of your peers. Sadly, there are no noble men or women in Chicago, so Conrad Black has to settle for a jury of people who don't know him from those other white guys in dark suits and coordinated ties.
Jury selection is under way at the Federal courthouse, where Judge Amy St. Eve is presiding. Sorry, but doesn't that name sound like it belongs to a burlesque dancer? Poor woman, probably teased about it all her life and now she's a judge with a chip on her shoulder. She'd never dare to wear short skirts or tight blouses, not if she's expecting to be taken seriously with such an appellation attached.
Who will decide if His Lordship is guilty or innocent? Juries are fairly anonymous, so there's no names or occupations mentioned just yet. The reports from the court room claim that most of those undergoing the selection process have never heard of Conrad Black and his financial shenanigans. That news should lift the heart of the defense team, the empty slate upon which they can chalk their story. There was the one juror who had seen some pictures of the defendant, however. She said he looked like he was going to a cocktail party, all dressed up. The members of the jury pool are not so inclined as to don a tux and head off for an elegant night on the town, and the defense does not want anyone who resents the party-goers on the jury.
Reportedly, potential jurors were heard to remark that there's no way any mere mortal could make tens of millions of dollars in any legal way. For the average wage earner, tacking on all those zeros in comparison to their measly income becomes mind-boggling and they get a bit woozy. The judge had to caution the jurors that it was not a crime to make a lot of money, but the seeds of doubt were planted long before this trial opened. The notion of ill-gotten gains is deeply entrenched in literature and religious lore.
The debacle of Enron has colored the opinions of some jurors, making them look cynically upon any and all corporations and the men who lead them. Again, the judge had to issue a caution, since this is Conrad Black's trial and not Ken Lay's and don't get them mixed up or even think about the fall-out of Enron and how so many little investors got hurt. The problem is, it's nearly impossible to sever all past opinions from the present case. I wouldn't expect the defense attorneys to allow in anyone who once held stock and got burned by an Enron or WorldCom collapse.
Judge St. Eve sent fourteen people home after the interrogation, and another three dozen will be called in for questioning. By Monday, she'll have a panel of twelve plus a few spares and the circus will officially be open. I can hardly wait.
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