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2017-11-08 Home Front: Culture Wars

Senator Menendez Juror Asks Trial Judge: ‘What Is a Senator?'

[Bloomberg] On their first full day of jury deliberations at the bribery trial of Senator Robert Menendez, a juror asked the judge a basic question: What is a senator?

U.S. District Judge William Walls declined to answer the question, and he refused that juror’s request for a transcript of Monday’s closing argument by Menendez’s attorney, Abbe Lowell. The panel had returned to the Newark, New Jersey, federal courthouse Tuesday after spending about 75 minutes deliberating the day before. Walls told jurors that they should rely on their individual and collective memories to determine how to define a senator.

The juror’s question, odd as it may have seemed, may have related to whether Melgen could have been considered a Menendez constituent. Defense attorneys said during the trial that Menendez regarded it as part of his Senate work to look after the interests of people beyond his home state. In his closing argument, Lowell reiterated that Menendez never introduced legislation that benefited Melgen.

The New Jersey Democrat is accused of taking bribes from Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen in the form of private jet travel, a Paris vacation and campaign contributions in exchange for pushing the doctor’s business interests at the highest levels of the U.S. government. Defense lawyers say they were just favors among good friends.

Posted by Anomalous Sources 2017-11-08 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11128 views ] Top

#1 So, it was an entirely reasonable question, which the journalist tried to make the juror look like an idiot. This is why nobody trusts you, media.

Posted by Herb McCoy7309 2017-11-08 00:38|| 2017-11-08 00:38|| Front Page Top

#2 I'd like to know the type of person this question came from; he could be a ballbuster / pain in the ass sort. Then again, it's very unlikely blithering idiots would have made it to the jury in the first place, especially this jury.

Posted by Raj 2017-11-08 02:02|| 2017-11-08 02:02|| Front Page Top

#3 "The juror’s question, odd as it may have seemed, may have related to whether Melgen could have been considered a Menendez constituent."

It's right there, the juror isn't an idiot, the journalist just tried to make him look that way. Because that's what journalists do.

Posted by Herb McCoy7309 2017-11-08 02:17|| 2017-11-08 02:17|| Front Page Top

#4 I didn't presume idiocy on the juror's part; I offered up a few alternative behaviour patterns instead.

Posted by Raj 2017-11-08 02:34|| 2017-11-08 02:34|| Front Page Top

#5 'What Is a Senator'

Hopefully something that Robert Menedez will very soon no longer be ?

Posted by Besoeker 2017-11-08 06:51|| 2017-11-08 06:51|| Front Page Top

#6 A citizen legislator (usually a lawyer) who enters office a thousandaire and leaves a multimilllionaire, inexplicably

Posted by Frank G 2017-11-08 07:09|| 2017-11-08 07:09|| Front Page Top

#7 Snark of the day?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2017-11-08 07:48|| 2017-11-08 07:48|| Front Page Top

#8 Hopefully something that Robert Menedez will very soon no longer be ?

Sorry Beso. The Dems have made it clear that they will fight to retain Menendez in the Senate. He is a Swamp Monster and the other Swamp Monsters, regardless of their supposed party, fight for their own.

Posted by AlanC 2017-11-08 08:41|| 2017-11-08 08:41|| Front Page Top

#9 He is a Swamp Monster and the other Swamp Monsters, regardless of their supposed party, fight for their own. interest - how many of them would be in the same situation if investigated thoroughly?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2017-11-08 08:43|| 2017-11-08 08:43|| Front Page Top

#10 I think the commenters are missing it: Juror asks judge question that judge decides not to answer. Mistrial. Motivations of juror and judge irrelevant but for outcome.

Posted by M. Murcek 2017-11-08 15:12|| 2017-11-08 15:12|| Front Page Top

#11 @#10 - yup!

Posted by Anomalous Sources 2017-11-08 19:21|| 2017-11-08 19:21|| Front Page Top

#12 having just spent 2 weeks in a Superior Court, I can attest: The Judge does not have to answer all questions, he can refer them to the evidence which addressed that issue. Not necessarily a mistrial argument, but I'm sure the defense attorneys might attempt it

Posted by Frank G 2017-11-08 20:23|| 2017-11-08 20:23|| Front Page Top

#13 errr: 3 weeks. Why anyone does this voluntarily (even with the $) is beyond me

Posted by Frank G 2017-11-08 20:24|| 2017-11-08 20:24|| Front Page Top

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