Jury seating

📄 Jury seating — Tuesday, February 7, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\FEB\7\JURY-SEATING.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 14 of 167

◀ Session opening Direct examination of Tia Gavin (morning) ▶

Date: Tuesday, February 7, 1995 • Utterances: 14

Judge Ito apologizes for a lengthy delay, explains that a juror had to be excused, and seats an alternate juror (No. 1489) in their place. A second alternate (No. 1492) is told to remain in the gallery temporarily. The People then call their next witness, Tia Gavin, who is sworn in.

# 1 THE COURT:

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE BE SEATED. GOOD MORNING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

# 2 THE JURY:

GOOD MORNING.

# 3 THE COURT:

MY APOLOGIES FOR HAVING KEPT YOU WAITING SO LONG THIS MORNING. THERE WERE SOME VERY DELICATE MATTERS THAT I HAD TO INQUIRE INTO THIS MORNING THAT TOOK A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR INDULGENCE IN THIS MATTER. IT BECAME NECESSARY FOR ME TO EXCUSE ONE OF THE JURORS IN THIS CASE, AND WE WILL NOW AT THIS TIME ASK MRS. ROBERTSON TO DRAW THE NAME OF AN ALTERNATE JUROR TO REPLACE THAT JUROR.

# 4 THE CLERK:

JUROR NO. 1489, CAN YOU PLEASE HAVE A SEAT IN SEAT NO. 10.

# 5 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. AND LET'S ASK 1492 -- ALL RIGHT. 1492, LET ME ASK YOU TO STAY DOWN THERE IN THE CHEAP SEATS JUST UNTIL MRS. ROBERTSON HAS TIME TO READJUST, AND AFTER THE LUNCH HOUR, WE'LL CHANGE SEATS. ALL RIGHT.

ARE THE PEOPLE READY TO CALL THEIR NEXT WITNESS?

# 6 MS. CLARK:

YES, WE ARE, YOUR HONOR, THANK YOU.

# 7 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. YOU MAY PROCEED.

# 8 MS. CLARK:

PEOPLE CALL MISS TIA GAVIN.

TIA GAVIN, CALLED AS A WITNESS BY THE PEOPLE, WAS SWORN AND TESTIFIED AS FOLLOWS:

# 9 THE CLERK:

PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND TO BE SWORN. DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT THE TESTIMONY YOU MAY GIVE IN THE CAUSE NOW PENDING BEFORE THIS COURT, SHALL BE THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, SO HELP YOU GOD?

# 10 THE WITNESS:

I DO.

# 11 THE CLERK:

PLEASE HAVE A SEAT ON THE WITNESS STAND AND STATE AND SPELL YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAMES FOR THE RECORD.

# 12 THE WITNESS:

TIA, T-I-A, GAVIN, G-A-V-I-N.

# 13 THE CLERK:

THANK YOU.

# 14 THE COURT:

MISS CLARK.

Temperature

procedural

Key Quotes (2)

Lance A. Ito

IT BECAME NECESSARY FOR ME TO EXCUSE ONE OF THE JURORS IN THIS CASE, AND WE WILL NOW AT THIS TIME ASK MRS. ROBERTSON TO DRAW THE NAME OF AN ALTERNATE JUROR TO REPLACE THAT JUROR.

Signals jury composition is in flux; Ito keeps the reason vague, referring only to 'very delicate matters.'

Lance A. Ito

1492, LET ME ASK YOU TO STAY DOWN THERE IN THE CHEAP SEATS JUST UNTIL MRS. ROBERTSON HAS TIME TO READJUST

Casual, self-deprecating humor from the bench during an otherwise tense administrative moment.

Notable Exchanges (1)

Lance A. Ito•The Jury

Ito addresses the jury directly to explain the delay and juror dismissal, offering a rare acknowledgment of opaque 'delicate matters' without elaboration.

measured

Light Moments (1)

Lance A. Ito

Ito tells alternate juror 1492 to stay in 'the cheap seats' until seating is readjusted after lunch.

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 4650 • 14 utterances

Criminal Trial

Department 103