Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (Credit: WJBK)
DETROIT (WJBK) -
Eight more potential jurors were added to the pool on day four of jury selection in the Kwame Kilpatrick federal corruption trial. However, a final jury is still days away.
Every day the questioning of jurors takes a different angle. It has its own character. Tuesday, it was easy to forget there are four men on trial because it focused mainly on one. Everybody is worried about Kwame Kilpatrick and how his reputation could hurt them at trial.
"You have to properly inquire. We have to properly ferret out people who can't be fair, who can't be fair to him, and that unfairness might affect our case," said Bobby Ferguson attorney Gerald Evelyn.
Can that be done?
"I don't know. We'll find out."
The issue was included in a questionnaire given to every perspective juror. Question 94 said, "What is your opinion, if any, of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick? Include in your answer any opinion you may have as to whether Kwame Kilpatrick has helped or hurt the image of Detroit and the metro area."
Tuesday, defense attorneys grilled potential jurors, especially one who said, "I think this case has put a negative light on a city that does not need it." She went on to say, "Detroit needs to find honest mayors that can rebuild their city."
The issue of stealth jurors people consider too eager to serve also came up again.
"People have all kinds of motivations," said Bobby Ferguson attorney Mike Rataj. "I'm not a mind reader... but certainly you have to be very weary of anybody that wants to be on a jury that bad. In my mind, and you may ask other lawyers and they may give you another opinion, but in my mind they have an ulterior motive."
There are many more days of jury selection ahead. For the first time Tuesday, the judge acknowledged there will not be opening statement on Friday. Hopefully that will happen next week.
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Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (Credit: WJBK)
