10B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 11, 2008
CRIME
Prospective Simpson jurors questioned
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Clarence "C.J." Stewart, O.J. Simpson, attorney Gabriel Grasso and attorney Yale Galanter, appear in court during the first day of jury selection for Stewart and Simpson's trial at the Clark County Regional Justice Center September 8 in Las Vegas. Simpson is appearing in court on charges which include burglary, robbery and assault following an attempted robbery at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino in September 2007.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS — A prospective juror in O.J. Simpson's kidnaprobbery trial was just 8 when the former football star was acquitted of murder, but that doesn't mean he doesn't remember anything about it.
On the third day of jury selection Wednesday, the young, ponytailed jury prospect said he remembers his parents denouncing the verdict at the dinner table, though he told the court he thinks he could be fair about weighing the current, unrelated charges against Simpson.
"My parents had very strong opinions against the verdict," the prospect said.
Simpson's attorney, Yale Galanter, noted that the man's written jury questionnaire indicated those views might influence him, but the prospective juror was not dismissed.
Most prospective jurors questioned have said they disagree with the 1995 verdict to acquit Simpson on charges of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and friend Ronald Goldman, though many have said they believe they can fairly consider the case before them.
In Las Vegas, Simpson, 61, is accused with co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart, 54, of kidnapping, armed robbery and other crimes for allegedly stealing items from two sports memorabilia dealers in a hotel room confrontation last year. They have pleaded not guilty.
By midday Wednesday, Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass had about half of the 40-member panel needed before lawyers can begin exercising peremptory challenges to choose a final jury of 12 with six alternates.
Another young prospective juror was one of the few questioned who said he supported the
murder verdict. He said he was a fan of Simpson's football career and a collector
and a collector of sports memorabilia.
"He was tried, he had a fair trial and he was found not guilty," the man said. "Our justice system worked."
by a man claiming to be with the media.
Jury selection was delaved briefly
"The court and the judge are attempting to do everything in their power to impanel a jury that's unbiased..."
MICHAEL SOMMERMEYER Court spokesman
after two potential jurors reported they had been approached outside the courthouse Tuesday
Glass summoned the women to the courtroom and both said they had not been wearing their juror badges and that they immediately walked away.
she was confident neither person has been influenced.
Court officials were reviewing
Glass said
videotapes to try to identify the man, and it wasn't clear if he was a member of the media.
Court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer said any media contact with jurors would be punishable by a contempt citation or confiscation of press credentials.
"The court and the judge are attempting to do everything in their power to impanel a jury that's as unbiased as humanly possible and not tainted by any outside influence," he said.
Most of those accepted to serve on the jury said they disagreed with acquitting Simpson of murder.
One woman said she believed Simpson should have been convicted and offered the view that the "Trial of the Century" was mishandled.
"I thought it was because of his status, that if it had been a normal person it it wouldn't have gotten so crazy out of hand," she said.
Still the woman insisted she could be fair. She also said she could put aside the fact that the last time she was a juror the defendant hanged himself after being found guilty.
"I don't think Mr. Simpson is going to hang himself," she said.
Simpson showed no reaction.
NFL
Cassel steps in for Brady
ASSOCIATED PRESS
So they posted a picture of his miscue on his locker.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The day after Matt Cassel dropped a fly ball in a high school game, his teammates thought they'd tease him.
"I've never seen so many guys scramble out of that locker room in a hurry when he went in there and saw that," said Tom Meusborn, the coach of that Los Angeles area team. "He was going to track the guy down and probably body slam him. He had fun with it."
Cassel can take a joke. But he hates making mistakes, whether it's on the baseball or football field.
On Sunday, the Patriots' new quarterback will shake off what remains of seven years of cobwebs and deal with any butterflies in his first start since high school against the archrival New York Jets and Brett Favre.
His task? Just replacing three-time NFL champion, two-time Super Bowl MVP and one-time regular season MVP Tom Brady.
"I'm not trying to be Tom Brady. I'm just trying to be Matt Cassel," he said. "I don't know where that's going to take us."
For a change, it will take him to the field.
He threw just 33 passes at Southern California, where he had the misfortune of backing up Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. But the Patriots saw enough in him to pick Cassel in the seventh and final round of the 2005 draft.
New team, same predicament — backing up an outstanding, durable quarterback. Cassel had thrown just 39 passes in three years for the Patriots.
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