©2011 Galesburg Broadcasting Co.
| Blago Referenced in Barry Bonds Trial |
CHICAGO (AP) -- When anonymous jurors begin hearing Barry Bonds' perjury trial this week, they can credit their privacy partly to former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The judge in Bonds' case in San Francisco, Susan Illston, alluded to the media crush at Blagojevich's first corruption trial in Chicago in ruling she'd keep jurors' names secret until after a verdict.
She cited Judge James Zagel's decision to protect Blagojevich jurors from what he called media "harassment."
It rekindles a dilemma in high-profile trials: How should judges balance jurors' right to privacy with the public's right to know?
Anonymous juries were virtually unheard of before the 1970s. Critics say they've become too commonplace, eroding a principle of being as open as possible. Others counter judges must shield juries to ensure evidence is assessed without distraction.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) |
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