Enron jury questionnaire pulls no punches
14-page document delves deep into potential jurors' employment history, business attitudes and knowledge of Enron case.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - The 400 potential jurors in the case over the biggest bankruptcy in corporate history had to sift through a correspondingly massive document before getting a shot at jury duty. The 14-page, 76-question document spared no inquiry -- "what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?", say -- in its efforts to make sure that Enron jurors wouldn't bring preconceived notions into the courtroom.
Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling and founder Kenneth Lay arrived at the federal courthouse Monday. They were joined by 96 potential jurors who were selected for courtroom screening Monday -- while around 300 were screened out by the questionnaire. (Full story) An exhaustive, custom-tailored document is the result of a case that has received major media exposure, or may elicit strong feelings from potential jurors, said Jake Zamansky, securities attorney at Zamansky & Associates. "The questionnaire is carefully designed to elicit bias in candidates," he said. "The Oklahoma bombing case was another case with comparable media exposure and public sentiment -- and required a lot of screening." Questions regarding employment history and Enron constitute a large portion of the form. One of the first 10 questions asks, "Have you or your immediate family ever been affected by any type of layoff or downsizing?" 20,000 former Enron employees lost their jobs when the energy company went bankrupt in 2001. (Full story) The survey also asks all about the potential juror's family and friends, because many in Houston knew people affected by the Enron debacle. Candidates were asked whether they had any business education, what business periodicals they read and what civic or political organizations they might belong to. Potential jurors had the option to answer "Do Not Understand," "Do Not Know" or "Private" to any of the form's 76 questions. A question asks the candidate which of 33 terms best describe him -- including telltale terms like "business-minded," "judgmental" and "pro-worker." Candidates were asked if they knew anyone who had lost money in an investment, IRA or 401(k) because of Enron's bankruptcy. Once attorneys have gone through all 96 candidates, then they will pick 12 jurors and 4 alternates. Would the battery of questions for juror's ultimately contribute to a fairer trial for the former Enron management? "A thorough screening process is crucial to ensuring a fair trial," said Zamansky. "Given the fact that this is a large city with a diverse population, and we are 4 to 5 years removed from the Enron disaster, I think with proper screening there can be a fair trial." ________________________ For complete coverage of the Enron case, click here. For all the day's headlines in Newsmakers, click here. |
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