HEAR THE VERDICT BEING READ HERE IN THE OPEN COURT, FOLLOWING WHICH, I WILL ASK EACH OF YOU IF YOU CONCUR IN THAT VERDICT.
THE VERDICT IS SIGNED BY ONE PERSON; THAT IS, THE FOREPERSON CHOSEN BY YOU FROM YOUR NUMBER DURING YOUR DELIBERATIONS.
AFTER YOU RETURN TO COURT, IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THAT IT IS THE VERDICT OF ALL OF YOU, WHERE IT SAYS SO SAY WE ALL, I WILL ASK EACH OF YOU IF THAT IS YOUR VERDICT. AS I SAID, THAT'S CALLED POLLING THE JURY.
THE FOREPERSON YOU HAVE SELECTED SHOULD DATE--THERE'S A DATE LINE AT THE VERY BOTTOM ON THE LEFT SIDE SAYING DATED THIS BLANK DAY OF FEBRUARY. AND TODAY IS THE 19TH DAY OF FEBRUARY. AND THEN AT THE LOWER RIGHT IS THE LINE FOR THE SIGNATURE OF THE FOREPERSON.
IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS YOU WILL BE TAKEN BACK TO THE JURY ROOM BY THE BAILIFF. THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD DO IS ELECT A FOREPERSON. THE FOREPERSON PRESIDES OVER YOUR DELIBERATIONS IN THE MANNER THAT A CHAIRPERSON PRESIDES OVER A MEETING.
IT IS THE FOREPERSON'S JOB TO SIGN AND DATE THE VERDICT FORM WHEN ALL OF YOU HAVE AGREED ON A VERDICT IN THIS CASE. THE FOREPERSON--WELL, WHEN YOU REACH A VERDICT, YOU CAN KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND TELL THE BAILIFF, WHO WILL BE SITTING OUTSIDE, THAT YOU HAVE REACHED A VERDICT. AT THAT POINT, WE WILL REASSEMBLE HERE IN THE COURTROOM AND HAVE YOU RETURN TO THE COURTROOM. THE FOREPERSON WILL BRING THE VERDICT FORM BACK TO THE COURTROOM.
WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN SEATED HERE, I WILL ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE REACHED A VERDICT. THE FOREPERSON WILL TELL ME SO. ONE OF THE BAILIFFS WILL GET THE VERDICT FORM FROM YOU, BRING IT OVER AND GIVE IT TO ME SO THAT I CAN SEE THAT IT IS PROPERLY EXECUTED, THAT YOU'VE SELECTED ONE OF THE TWO VERDICTS AND THAT IT HAS BEEN DATED AND SIGNED. FOLLOWING WHICH, I WILL HAND IT OVER TO THE CLERK HERE, WHO WILL PUBLISH IT OR READ IT.
OF COURSE, EITHER A MAN OR WOMAN MAY BE THE FOREPERSON OF A JURY.
YOUR VERDICT FINDING THE DEFENDANT EITHER GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY MUST BE UNANIMOUS. THE VERDICT MUST BE THE VERDICT OF EACH JUROR AS WELL AS THE JURY AS A WHOLE.
IN CLOSING, LET ME REMIND YOU THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU FOLLOW THE LAW SPELLED OUT IN THESE INSTRUCTIONS IN DECIDING YOUR VERDICT. THERE ARE NO OTHER LAWS THAT APPLY TO THIS CASE. EVEN IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THE LAWS THAT MUST BE APPLIED, YOU MUST USE THEM. FOR TWO CENTURIES WE HAVE AGREED TO A CONSTITUTION AND TO LIVE BY THE LAW. NONE OF US HAS THE RIGHT TO VIOLATE THE RULES WE ALL SHARE.
WITHOUT WAIVING ANY OBJECTIONS YOU MAY HAVE HAD TO THE RULINGS I MADE ON THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT I READ, DID I READ THEM AS I HAD RULED WAS TO BE DONE?
MR. ROFFINO: I