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Long trial Despite warning, Lewis trial could last several weeks
Posted: Monday May 22, 2000 05:21 PM
ATLANTA (AP) -- The murder trial of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and two co-defendants could drag on for several weeks despite the judge's efforts to speed it along. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Alice D. Bonner expressed frustration Friday at the expected length of the case. Earlier during jury selection, expected to be finalized Monday, Bonner told lawyers that the trial should last no more than a week. District Attorney Paul Howard said Friday it will take at least a week for the state to present its version of the fight that left two men fatally stabbed after a Super Bowl party in Buckhead on Jan. 31. Defense attorneys, who will present their case after the prosecution, have complained about the amount of time the district attorney expects to take. "There is zero need for 130 prosecution witnesses," said David Wolfe, attorney for defendant Reginald Oakley. "The bottom line is, but for the notoriety that has been affixed to this case, it ought to take about a week to try." Prosecutors have said in court documents that the defendants chased down Jacinth "Shorty" Baker, 21, and Richard Lollar, 24, and started fighting with them after an argument at the Cobalt Lounge. Defense lawyers for Lewis have said the 25-year-old NFL star didn't stab anyone and acted as a peacemaker. Oakley and Joseph Sweeting are also charged with murder in the case. The court finished qualifying the jury pool Friday, and the final jury will be selected Monday at 1 p.m. That means opening statements and testimony will begin Tuesday morning, Howard said. For the past five days, prosecutors and defense lawyers have been narrowing a list of 136 potential jury candidates. Only 55 remained Friday -- enough to have a 12-person jury and five alternates. To make the final cut, attorneys will consider only the first 30 potential jurors. The defense gets to eliminate 12, and prosecutors get to eliminate six. The remaining 12 make up the jury. A similar process will cull five alternates from the final 25. Lawyers asked questions Friday -- as they have done all week -- designed to reveal the background, opinions and hidden biases of the potential jurors. One man, Juror No. 98, was excluded after he told prosecutors, "It's been apparent that the defendants were involved, and I haven't seen anything that makes me think they weren't." That got the man out of jury duty, but not without a stern reprimand from the judge: "I hope you never need a criminal defense lawyer, or anyone you know, love or care about does." Bonner said. The judge also excluded Juror No. 83 on Friday because she had a hostile attitude toward lawyers. But most people promised to be fair and impartial and managed to stay in the jury pool. The only other preliminary business will be a hearing Monday on whether the statement Lewis gave to police on the morning after the killings is admissible in court.
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