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Oprah chosen for murder jury Tuesday, August 17, 2004

#1 User is offline   Chefelf Icon

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Posted 17 August 2004 - 07:08 AM

QUOTE
Oprah chosen for murder jury
August 17, 2004

BY STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporter


When Judge James Linn asked 50 prospective jurors Monday whether they would hold it against the accused murderer if he refused to testify, only one woman raised her hand.

"Your name, please?" Linn asked, peering down from the bench.

"Oprah," she replied.

A few minutes later, things got a tad testy between the talk-show host and Linn but it didn't matter -- Oprah Winfrey made the cut anyway.

"Oh, happy day," Oprah muttered sarcastically after she was picked to hear a murder case that's scheduled to last three days at the Criminal Courthouse.

Since the Sun-Times first reported last week that Oprah was to report for jury duty Monday, many veteran court observers said there was zero chance she would get picked -- she'd be too much of a distraction in court, they said confidently.

One sheriff's deputy had an answer for that Monday: "They're throwing snowballs in hell. Who would have thought?"

Attorneys on both sides of the case refused to discuss their decision to keep Oprah, or why they didn't exercise their right to have her automatically bounced from the jury.

Earlier in the day, Oprah -- wearing her red "juror" sticker on an elegant black-and-white sweater and cradling a copy of Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina (her current book club book) -- predicted she wouldn't be picked.

''If I were [a lawyer], I wouldn't pick me," she said, chatting to reporters in the courthouse lobby. "I can have an open mind, but I'm really too opinionated.

"I'm hoping it won't take longer than a week, because I've got shows to do," she added.

Then she wandered off to the courthouse cafeteria, smiling and waving at fans along the way. She headed for the buffet, in search of a turkey sandwich without bread, but instead settled on two scoops of tuna salad and bottled water. She happily signed autographs.

After lunch, Judge Linn launched into a series of questions to prospective jurors. That's when Oprah raised her hand. But Linn didn't probe deeper until later, when each juror was questioned individually.

Things began on a comical note as Linn asked Oprah to introduce herself.

"I'm Oprah Winfrey," the talk-show host said to a chorus of giggles. "I've lived in Chicago since 1983, and I have a little talk show."

Then Linn got serious, wanting to know just what kind of juror Oprah would make.

"Mr. Coleman might not get a fair trial from you?" he asked.

"I'm just saying I like to hear both sides of the story," Oprah replied.

But Linn wasn't satisfied.

"You will not hold it against [the accused] if he does not testify?" Linn asked again.

Linn told Oprah she seemed to be hesitating.

"No, I won't hold it against him," said Oprah, looking increasingly uncomfortable.

A little later, Oprah and 11 other jurors -- and two alternates -- were sworn in.

Then, what had seemed almost a side show to the main event got under way -- the trial of Dion Coleman, 27, accused of shooting Walter Holley, 23, in a dispute over $50 in February 2002.

Oprah sat in the front row of the jury box, looking intently at the attorneys and occasionally taking notes.

If Oprah wasn't particularly thrilled about being in court, she didn't show it to the other juror candidates Monday. At one point, she reached out and squeezed the hand of one prospective juror, and even engaged in a friendly debate about the Illinois Senate race.

"I love Barack [Obama]," she said.

By 6:30 p.m., a weary-looking Oprah -- who had been in the courthouse since 10:15 a.m. -- was escorted out of the courtroom through a back way. As most other jurors headed for the court parking lot, Oprah was whisked away in a big black SUV amid heavy security.

http://www.suntimes....ws-oprah17.html


Riiiight. Having Oprah Winfrey on a jury couldn't hurt the trial process at all, right? Right?
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#2 User is offline   K1NGWARREN Icon

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Posted 17 August 2004 - 08:36 AM

I suggest that she change her name to "Dope-rah". Holy friggin self-importance!
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Posted 17 August 2004 - 09:05 AM

QUOTE (Chefelf @ Aug 17 2004, 08:08 PM)
When Judge James Linn asked 50 prospective jurors Monday whether they would hold it against the accused murderer if he refused to testify, only one woman raised her hand.

...............

"You will not hold it against [the accused] if he does not testify?" Linn asked again.

Linn told Oprah she seemed to be hesitating.

"No, I won't hold it against him," said Oprah, looking increasingly uncomfortable.

So, is she holding it against him or not?
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Posted 17 August 2004 - 01:11 PM

Guess she has a thing against certain constitutional rights... go fig
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#5 User is offline   jyd Icon

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Posted 17 August 2004 - 05:41 PM

who names their kid oprah?
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#6 User is offline   Vwing Icon

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Posted 17 August 2004 - 10:18 PM

The thing that really shocked me about the article was not about Oprah, but the fact that the guy committed murder over 50 DOLLARS! I mean holy crap, that's kinda scary right there.
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#7 User is offline   Chefelf Icon

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Posted 18 August 2004 - 10:18 AM

QUOTE (Vwing @ Aug 17 2004, 11:18 PM)
The thing that really shocked me about the article was not about Oprah, but the fact that the guy committed murder over 50 DOLLARS! I mean holy crap, that's kinda scary right there.

What about the people that killed six people over an Xbox? That's $25 per person!

Terrible story.
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#8 User is offline   barend Icon

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Posted 18 August 2004 - 10:10 PM

or the guy who had a baby harness (with baby girl strapped to his chest) who got jumped by four thugs, because a female friend of theirs pointed him out and said "I think that's the guy who might of stolen my phone"

humanatarians of the year right there...

and she realized after the beating and consiquential injury of the baby... that it was the wrong guy.

what was the xbox thing again...

--------------------------

i was about to say something about the $50... i'm glad someone mentioned it.

$50.

a life for $50.
that's fucked.

people have been mugged and killed for less... but these guys knew each other.
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Posted 18 August 2004 - 11:48 PM

QUOTE
"I'm just saying I like to hear both sides of the story," Oprah replied.


Isn't that what you are supposed to hear in a court case?
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#10 User is offline   reiner Icon

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Posted 19 August 2004 - 12:32 AM

QUOTE (SeanJ1 @ Aug 18 2004, 11:48 PM)
QUOTE
"I'm just saying I like to hear both sides of the story," Oprah replied.


Isn't that what you are supposed to hear in a court case?

Theoretically, you are supposed to hear the prosecutors prove to the jury that the currently innocent defendent is guilty and the defendant's rebuttal. Ideally there would only be one story since everyone is under oath to tell the truth.

Oprah seems to like to "stir the shit" or "get out of jury duty" so to speak
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Posted 19 August 2004 - 08:40 AM

This was one quick trial! I like the headline -- it makes it sound like Oprah goes around dispensing her own brand of frontier justice through the mean streets of Chicago.

As I have heard the story, Oprah got her name because of a mix-up (at the hospital?) -- her name was meant to be "Orpah," after Ruth's mother-in-law from the biblical Book of Ruth, but was mis-typed. (I think this is the story, anyhow -- I will do some research).
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#12 User is offline   Chefelf Icon

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Posted 20 August 2004 - 07:42 AM

That was the quickest trial I've ever even heard of. Every headline makes it seem like Oprah was the judge, jury and executioner.

I think having Oprah on the jury was a dumb idea. Does anyone know anything about the trial? I'd call for a mistrial if I were the defense lawyer. How do you get a fair trial with her on the jury? Would anyone anywere know a damn thing about this case if it weren't for the Oprah thing?

This is a sad day for American justice. sad.gif
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Posted 20 August 2004 - 10:24 AM

QUOTE (Chefelf @ Aug 20 2004, 07:42 AM)
This is a sad day for American justice. sad.gif

That's what we here in Canada call a "weekday."

Zing!
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Posted 21 August 2004 - 08:09 AM

What about all those people who kill just for the sake of killing, no money required?

Think about it.

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Posted 24 August 2004 - 04:05 AM

at least their crazy...

this asshole killed someone over $50.

that's just scummy!

QUOTE
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*takes jordans wallet*
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