|
| S P E C I A L | The Au Pair Trial |
Au pair juror: Verdict speculation 'just crazy'
Judge to hear defense motions Tuesday
November 1, 1997
Web posted at: 11:40 p.m. EST (0440 GMT)CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (CNN) -- As English au pair Louise Woodward began the first full day of her life sentence Saturday, one of the jurors in her trial called speculation about the verdict "just crazy."
The juror, speaking on condition of anonymity, said she and another juror are talking about issuing a public statement explaining key points about how the verdict was reached.
"But I have to say it looks like a no-win situation. We'll say we decided on the basis of this, this and this, and someone will say, 'No, it was because of Barry Scheck' or some other crazy thing," she said.
The juror took particular offense to speculation that animosity toward Scheck, who was one of O.J. Simpson's attorneys and also represented Woodward, was a motivating factor in the verdict. She said that during deliberations, "I don't think his name even came up."
"The craziest thing I heard someone say is that we came to our decision because of Barry Scheck, that we hated Barry Scheck and that's how we came up with the verdict. That is just crazy," she said.
Judge gets threatening phone calls
After finding Woodward guilty of second-degree murder Thursday for the death of a 8-month-old baby in her care, jurors left the courthouse without speaking to reporters.
On Friday, Middlesex Superior Court Judge Hiller Zobel refused to release their names or any information about them, fearing they would start getting the same kinds of rude and threatening calls that tied up his telephone line, forcing him to change the number.
In an interview with a Boston TV station, the father of a juror called the atmosphere in the jury room "tough" and said his daughter had been one of the last holdouts for acquittal. The jury had initially divided 6-to-6, "and then it was 10-to-2 and she was one of the two. So it was tough for her."
Woodward is now at a women's prison outside Boston. On Tuesday, the defense team will try one more time to free her at a hearing in front of Zobel.
The judge has four options:
- let the verdict stand
- set it aside and let Woodward go free
- order a new trial on the grounds that the verdict was unsupported by the evidence
- reduce the charge to manslaughter, giving Woodward a chance at a shorter sentence or even probation.
Judge has changed verdicts before
Zobel reduced a second-degree murder conviction to manslaughter in 1981, and, three years later, he ordered a new trial after another defendant was convicted of second-degree murder.
But author and Boston University journalism professor Carol Rivers says Zobel's reputation for independent thinking is not a guarantee for Woodward.
"A unanimous jury decision -- a jury that debated for some 27 hours -- is very strong," Rivers said. "So I think people who automatically expect that Judge Zobel will change the verdict may be wrong. I think it's very, very iffy."
If the judge lets the jury's verdict stand, then her lawyers will seek relief in the appellate courts.
And if they can't get the conviction overturned there, pressure may build on the acting governor of Massachusetts, Paul Cellucci, now one year away from an election, to grant Woodward a pardon.
Correspondent Brian Jenkins contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Murder verdict sparks outrage - October 31, 1997
- Life sentence for au pair - October 31, 1997
- British au pair convicted of murder - October 31,1997
- British au pair chooses 'all or nothing' verdict - October 27, 1997
- Cross-examination of nanny called 'minefield' for prosecution - October 26, 1997
- Nanny says she didn't harm baby - October 23, 1997
- Au pair accused of murder takes stand, denies guilt - October 23, 1997
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
Sound off on our
message boards
You said it...
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.Terms under which this service is provided to you.