Potential Juror Shouts 'He is guilty!' -- And Judge Jails Him On $10,000 Bail

[TexasTowelie]

HONOLULU -- A circuit court judge declared a mistrial in an assault case and jailed a prospective juror who repeatedly exclaimed, “He is guilty! He is guilty!” in the presence of his fellow would-be jurors.

An attorney for the defendant in the assault case identified the disruptive prospective juror on Tuesday afternoon as Jacob Maldonado. A bailiff escorted Maldonado into the courtroom for questioning by a judge.

But Maldonado did not respond when Judge Edward Kubo asked him why he made such a loud outburst that could potentially distort the trial’s fairness, according to court documents.

Court documents show that Kubo was upset that Maldonado’s outburst had “infected” the 44-member jury panel. Kubo then dismissed the entire jury panel “as a result of (Maldonado’s) blatant and willful disturbance,” which “created a taint that prevented the court from commencing trial,” court documents state.

Read more: https://www.civilbeat.org/2019/02/potential-juror-shouts-he-is-guilty-and-judge-jails-him-on-10000-bail/