Next up is anonymous jury. O'Mara's concern is that the jury will be at risk due to community pressures, and will not be willing to acquit. O'Mara says Zimmerman is entitled to an anonymous jury so he will get a fair trial. O'Mara says that a convicting jury might be at similar risk (I call baloney).
O'Mara brings up sequestration, and he is asking for the venire to be housed at state expense, 500 people! I didn't expect that, but may as well ask for more, and see what the court grants. O'Mara says this is about a fair trial, and if the public perceives this as an important civil rights case that is not decided fairly, the consequences redound to the court.
Bernardo on anonymous jury. He doesn't know how to sequester 500 people through jury selection. As to anonymity, he is not sure what the defense is asking for - is it asking for media exclusion? Media counsel argues that voir dire is an open process, and the media can't be excluded. Outer limits of Fl law allows the clerk to withhold names of prospective jurors from the public. He knows of no Fl precedent for anonymous jury. Another press counsel notes that Fl law does not allow juror secrecy, although it does allow for delayed release, see Anthony trial.
Nelson says that voir dire will proceed on juror number, not name. No photos or moving pictures of prospective jurors. No sequestration of the venire. The press wants the right to photo jurors outside the courtroom. O'Mara is concerned that limiting the prohibition to courtroom only will not.
Next up, visit the scene. Nelson jabs at O'Mara, "isn't this a little disingenuous, given your motion for juror anonymity?"
Clickorlando dumps me during O'Mara's argument as to the value of going to the scene. I'm going to switch to a different stream.
