Judge Cites Privacy Rights, Keeps Juror Names a Secret Until End of Barry Bonds Trial
The federal judge presiding over the perjury trial of Barry Bonds in San Francisco won’t release the names of the jurors until after the verdict.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston cited a ruling by another federal judge who kept juror names secret until the end of the corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Associated Press reports. The judge, James Zagel of Chicago, wrote that “jurors summoned from the community to serve as participants in our democratic system of justice are entitled to safety, privacy and protection against harassment.”
The AP story reports that anonymous juries were almost unheard of until the 1970s. Opponents of the practice say releasing juror names has led reporters to uncover lies on juror questionnaires and other improprieties.
Opening statements in the trial of home run king Bonds are scheduled to begin today. Illston still hasn’t indicated whether she will grant a defense request to order the jurors to refrain from discussing the case on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites, the Associated Press reports in a separate story.
Prosecutors will seek to prove that Bonds knew he was using steroids and lied about it under oath, the New York Times reports. “It is finally batter up for the prosecution,” the Times says.
Prior coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Excluding Steroids Tests Is Key to Barry Bonds Trial Strategy”
ABAJournal.com (May 2008): “Barry Bonds Re-Charged in Steroids-Related Perjury Case”
ABAJournal.com (Dec. 2007): “After Mitchell Report, Shame, Blame … and Reform?”
