officers - The Black Vault

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,_ court 'that the 'trial ·"Ntuld "
er be peld in Orange, Alameda
• tv entura cotinties. That was on a
lcFriday. By "-the next Tuesday, a·
!trial date was set and Ventura was
17:'" • ,·-~-·-r"n ,"M··n=-". t-.p.n.~.. • ;pick~ a;; the site._ • ; · . : ·
rr."•• . ,. • •. __ _ ,.. .. un~lear. Weis~erg's decision to . Controlling the courtroom is a
r He s not gomg to aggravate a moye the caae 19 Ventura County, hallmark ()f Weisberg's judicial
p:telicate situation," -Said Br~dley ..;, pyer the objection -of pro~ecutors style.- .When ·he agreed that the·
}3runon, a prominent Los Angeles :• w]}o sought a more racially mixed,
ctrial could be televised, he insisted
r9efense attorn' ey. "~e is ~ ve"l! urban location, has since come ,ion a 15-second delay button so that
lthoughtful :man. ~eJS very mtelij- , .under scrutiny. -. , . _ ~ .. > ··'he could bleep out anything he
-·genf and h.e wilffollow the law, btit ? .. · .• :· · • _ · . · · - . • · !(ieemed inappropriate for the
. he'll do it in such·:a way that it will· S orne critics say Weisberg milst ."Viewers, sticn as shots of the jurors.
fbe understooifthat it is the law that bear at leastpartial responsibil- =He did not use the button, howev-.
l!s compelling whatever actions -he. ity for the verdicts . .As a result of ler, when one of the defendants
~kes, and not any:pijblic outcry-.Or . ih.e ·King case, legislators in two iuttered a four,.letter word during
_political correctness:•'•:. ·> : ·-~~,,·,,: ~ • • ··states-California an~ New Jer.- _i¥s testim~ny. __ : · " : , . :
t Althougn-Ptete is -no .Way to. sey-are proposing 'laws 'that ~-- _.. '" .. ~- .
·predict how-or when-the judge would require demographics to be And when Weisberg noticed
:might rule,·aeverallawv:ers!.ititer'-
--~ ·"- .. ~
·considered -in ~es.-invol"Ving :a spec tato rs · n oddin g o ff in th e
. "View~d said tha~. ~t~ like!~ qe Will ::, :~.~nge of venue. · .. , r ', a · back of the courtroom, he ordered
~r~tt the retrt,ill based ·on ·the · ..,. T~,k about looJ?n~ for scape- that the temperature be turned
.Qistrtct attorney s argument that goats! Klausneuru.d. Peopl~ now · down so that the jury would stay·
the~~ is "compelling" -eYjQ~n~e say,n~aybehe~toblaroe ...-:-..--"_BJlU? ~:awake. It was so cold that specta-
-~gat!lSt Powell.- - ·: ·-.~-ea~ t ~ee hoy.o .Y. 0 u ~say he bears · · tors began wearing hats and gloves·
·" Powell's defense lawyer, J4i-· '"" aiJY~bility. ,.,.. . . .
...chael Stone, would not commen~~~VO'ei:s such ~ Brunon and and some .people-mcluding the
· :And as he has throughout the trial :~'Cynthia McClain-Hill, an attorney .judge-got stck. · . · :
'Weisberg declined to be inter: 'who served as a television com- On the bench, WeiSberg IS som­
~"Viewed. . .. .. '.mentator during the King case, say .ber and reserv~d. Although some
e During his four-year .career. on : ~eisberB,-:e~~rged fi:om ~e trial lawyers complam that he is·col.d.
;the Superior Court bench, Weis:-.• _ wtth . hts. reput~tio~ mtact. and humorless •. he has a ·dry wtt_
'berg has handled.a seHes of high- McClam-lilli, who publishes a po- .tha~ eme~ges infrequently, _-m.ore
~profile cases·· including the sensa .. '·: ·lltical' newsletter .geared to the of~en outside the presence of Junes.
· ti?nal Laurei Canyon mtirders, the - bla~k- comm~nij.y, had _glowing But Weisberg shov.:~-~ittle toler- ·
~al of an LAPD officer once prrusE:,forthe~urlst.: . .,., ,_.., .._ .ance for flamboyant.st