Convicted Kidnapping Plotters Seeking New Trial Send Private Investigator to Juror’s Workplace
Convicted kidnapping plotters send private investigator to jurors workplace
According to news sources, a newly unsealed court filing confirms that two convicted kidnapping plotters in the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan) case hired a private investigator to go to a juror’s workplace to find out if that juror had it out for them and planned to “hang” them if picked to sit on the jury.
Two of those coworkers were tracked down by the private eye and offered new allegations about the juror, including that the juror was “far-left leaning,” said the defendants were “guilty no matter what,” and texted a family member during deliberations that a verdict had been reached but had not yet been announced, according to the filing.
During the case, the defense got a tip from a juror’s co-worker that the juror had been telling people at work that he/she was hoping to get on the Whitmer trial, and intended to “hang” the defendants if picked. Instead, the judge interviewed the juror privately in his chambers – along with two court staffers – in a seven-minute interview that ended with the judge concluding the juror was not biased and could continue to hear the case.
In allowing the juror to remain on the panel, the judge noted that the person who first contacted the defense was unwilling to identify the person who heard the alleged statements firsthand from the juror. The second tipster also told investigators that one of the juror’s family members also works for the same employer as the juror.
After defense investigators identified the employee who allegedly had firsthand knowledge of juror bias – identified in court records as Person #3 – they asked the employer if they could speak with the worker, though the human resources manager refused to provide access without permission from the company’s general counsel.
“The Supreme Court ‘has long held that the remedy for allegations of juror partiality is a hearing in which the defendant has the opportunity to prove actual bias,’” the defense lawyers argue in their filing.
“The Court has placed the defendants in a classic Catch-22. The Court denied the defendants an opportunity to participate in the questioning of the juror and has ordered that the defendants may not contact the jurors following the verdict,” the defense argued.
This is an interesting use of a private investigator in the defense’s hunt for a new trial. As we often see, legal investigations done well can lead to BIG victories in the courtroom or more favorable settlements. We know that success or failure in the courtroom or during the settlement process depends on having the very best, most detailed information about a case. That’s why great attorneys and law firms across the country work with the worldwide team of Santoni Investigations who will make sure you know everything to maximize the settlement process or win your case in court!