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Old April 27th, 2011 #1467
Donald E. Pauly
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 4,130
Default Cyndi on Jury Selection

http://www.free-edgar-steele.com/?p=276#more-276

Boise trial day #1 report, 4/26/2011
2011 APRIL 27

(The following was received from Mrs. Steele late Tuesday 4/26. Any clarifications felt pertinent are made in brackets []. Many thanks to Cyndi for her candid and heartfelt report!)

Dear Gang,

This is just a quick synopsis of the first day of Ed’s trial.

Trial began at 9:30 am to start the jury selection. Due to many discussions, I did not go to the courtroom until about 2:30 pm. When I showed up, the jury selection was still in progress. At this point, the potential jurors were down to 32 and AUSA [Assistant United States Attorney] Traci Whelen had already had her allotted time to ask questions of the jury.

Robert McAllister was then at the podium asking the potential jurors questions. Once he had completed his questioning, the Judge Winmill called a 15 minute recess. Upon the return, the courtroom was very quiet as the prosecution and defense took turns going to the podium to strike the jurors they were not selecting to be on the jury. The prosecution was allowed to remove 6 potential jurors and the defense was allowed to remove 10 potential jurors.

Following, Judge Winmill announced which potential jurors were excuse and impaneled the remaining jurors in as the jury for Ed’s trial by swearing them in. The jury has 11 women and 1 gentleman. There are 2 alternates in case needed to fill-in for a juror that can’t complete the trial or a problem arises. Next the jury was given their jury instructions from the judge.

Court was recessed until tomorrow, Wednesday, April 27th. Tomorrow will first begin with opening statements from both sides and will then begin with the prosecution’s case where they will call their first witness. Speculation is that [FBI] Agent Sotka [present when Mr. Steele was arrested June 11, 2010] and Larry Fairfax will be among the witnesses testifying tomorrow.

It looks like the prosecution will call me to testify as early as Thursday. All I can say is that I’m glad it is not tomorrow for Ed’s and my 26th Anniversary. Though I won’t get to talk to Ed and wish him Happy Anniversary, at least I’ll get to be in the same room with him. Besides, the events of the last 11 months have not been very happy and how can our 26th Anniversary be celebrated as it should be, when my husband is in the trial of a life time.

Cyndi