Day 25 (Day 21 since testimony began, Day 7 of deliberations) Danny Masterson retrial
After this morning's visit to the courtroom by Philip Cohen (and we still haven't been told what it was about) things settled into the usual waiting game this afternoon.
Deliberations have already gone on longer than in the first trial, which ended up deadlocked.
Here's a comparison of the two juries at this point...
Deliberations in the first trial began on Wednesday, November 16, and the jury had questions on each of its first two days. Then on the third day, Friday, November 18, it told the judge it could not reach verdicts on any of the three counts. She urged them to come back after the Thanksgiving break and keep working.
Ten days later, on Monday, November 28, the jury had to start over from the beginning when two ill members were replaced. The jury then had questions or requests for readback on both Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Then, that afternoon, at 3 pm on Wednesday, November 30, the jury told Judge Olmedo that it was hopelessly deadlocked and she declared a mistrial.
The jury on the retrial has already deliberated longer, and with fewer interruptions for questions or requests for readback.
First trial:
Day 1: Wed, Nov 16 (question)
Day 2: Thu, Nov 17 (question)
Day 3: Fri, Nov 18 (unable to reach verdicts)
Day 4: Mon, Nov 28 (starts over)
Day 5: Tue, Nov 29 (question)
Day 6: Wed, Nov 30 (readback, hung jury)
Second trial:
Day 1: Wed, May 17
Day 2: Thu, May 18 (requests video)
Day 3: Fri, May 19 (watches video, 2 questions)
Day 4: Mon, May 22
Day 5: Tue, May 23 (half day)
Day 6: Thu, May 25 (readback)
Day 7: Fri, May 26
Could this second jury still be making progress? Are verdicts still possible after the Memorial Day weekend?
Sure, it is possible, and we will just have to put our trust in this panel, which is obviously considering things in a lot of detail.
Judge Olmedo had already scheduled Tuesday, May 30 as an additional day off. So the jurors will have four days away from the courtroom and will return on Wednesday morning, May 31.
(We have noticed questions from some of you about these days off. Judge Olmedo produced a trial schedule weeks ago based on the needs of the jury members. If there are days off scheduled, it was because jury members had said they had prior obligations on those days.)
May 31 is also the day that the evidentiary hearing about the leak of the DA's discovery material is scheduled. So at least we'll have something to report on while we're waiting for the jury to deliberate that day.
Four days off. These poor women have to wait even longer for an answer.
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Still no verdicts: Jury will return Wed., May 31 to keep deliberating
Ugh. The questions the jurors have had have seemed well reasoned, and Judge Olmedo, rightly so, wouldn’t allow a chart from Cohen’s closing into the jury room because it wasn’t evidence. I hope the jurors understand what that means. So close and yet so far. I hope those poor women have a chance to have a peaceful Memorial Day.
Oh.my.gosh