After one day of deliberation, the jury in the securities-fraud trial of former Bear Stearns hedge-fund managers Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin is already getting uppity. Today, taking the bait from the defense’s closing argument, the jury raised questions about venue: They’re not even sure that one of the four counts is being tried in the right court.
They’ve also asked for Veterans day off and “fresh air.”
At 3:36 p.m. the jury asked for 10-minute “fresh air break,” and at 4:12 p.m. the jury foreman sent a note saying that some jurors want Wednesday off because it is a federal holiday (Veterans Day). The jury also sent a note alerting the court that they planned to leave at 5 p.m. and return on Tuesday at 10 a.m.
We can’t blame them. If we were in charge of deciding somebody’s innocence or guilt in a securities-fraud trial we would ask for as many smoke breaks and freebie holidays as the law allows.
Bear Trial Jurors Ask for Evidence and Day Off [Dealbook/NYT]
At Bear Trial, A Question of Venue [WSJ]
