PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Big Trial
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Ralph Cipriano
When it comes to picking a jury, it’s interesting to see who doesn’t get picked.
As far as the prosecution in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse case is concerned, it wasn’t exactly a plus to be a faithful, practicing Catholic.
The prosecution today bounced another earnest young woman who told the judge she went to Mass every Sunday. Lapsed Catholics, however, seemed to fare better; the prosecution even approved as an alternate juror a former altar boy who no longer attends church, and was convicted of assault at an Eagles game.
As far as the defense was concerned, defense lawyers on Tuesday rejected a born-again Protestant minister who proclaimed that she herself had been healed of sex abuse. Today, defense lawyers bounced the wife of an ordained Baptist minister. They also used a preemptory challenge to pass on an openly gay prospective juror who had previously served as a juror in a child rape case, and found it to be emotionally draining.
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