Opinion ID: 867592
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Jury selectionbackground

Text: ¶ 13 Defendant was represented by Carmen Fischer (Fischer), who had been the subject of extensive publicity concerning her romantic and possible sexual relationship with a prior client in the high-profile bounty hunter murder case. There was widespread publicity in the media, up to and including the day before jury selection in the present case. Among other things, it was alleged both in newspapers and on television that Fischer had sexual contact with her client in a lawyer's visiting room at the Maricopa County Jail. On television, Fischer could be seen kissing her client. This publicity, however, contained no reference to Defendant or her pending case. ¶ 14 At the beginning of jury selection, the judge asked if the state and Defendant were ready, and the lawyers, including Fischer, identified themselves to the court. At this point, before the panelists were sworn and before the lawyers were formally introduced to them, several of the panelists recognized Fischer, although none mentioned it at the time. Immediately following this, the panelists were sworn and there was a recess for lunch. During this recess, there was at least one conversation about Fischer between several of the venire members. ¶ 15 After the recess, in the course of voir dire, Fischer asked whether any of the panelists had seen anything in the newspapers or on television about anyone involved in the trial. Eleven of the panelists, including those involved in the lunchtime conversation, raised their hands. There was then another recess, and these eleven plus two others who later identified themselves were questioned in chambers about the extent of their exposure to the publicity surrounding Fischer and how it might affect their impartiality in this case. Seven of the thirteen panelists indicated that what they had seen or heard of the allegations did not lead them to form a negative opinion of Defendant's attorney. Three potential jurors indicated that reports of the relationship between Defendant's attorney and one of her clients led them to form a negative opinion concerning the attorney, but they would be able to put aside their feelings and serve impartially. Three others indicated that their negative opinion of Defendant's attorney either would not, or might not, allow them to serve impartially. These three were discharged for cause by the judge. ¶ 16 After the first nine prospective jurors had been questioned in chambers, Fischer reminded the judge that none of the panelists had been ordered to refrain from discussing this matter with other panel members. One man revealed in chambers that before voir dire commenced, he had learned about the controversy over lunch from some of the other venire persons who were talking about the television broadcast of Fischer kissing her client in the other murder case. The judge then ordered the man not to discuss this topic with anyone. Fischer then moved to strike all of the panel members who had been exposed to the media coverage. The judge refused to discharge any prospective juror other than the three he had already discharged. In the course of subsequent questioning in the courtroom, another panelist said that while the remainder of the panel was waiting in the jury room during in-chambers voir dire, he had overheard other prospective jurors talking about Fischer's bad judgment. This reminded him that he had read of Fischer's sexual relationship with a prisoner and that he thought she had used very poor judgment. Fischer again moved to strike all panel members due to their continuing discussion of this topic, but the judge denied the motion.