HARDIN CO.—We learned from MULTIPLE sources yesterday that Hardin County sheriff Joyce Cullison and an unidentified deputy were in downtown Rosiclare attempting to do what sounded like soliciting jurors to sit in on a trial, ostensibly beginning very soon.
We made some calls but couldn’t find anything specific about this. According to these witnesses, they claimed that shearff Joyce was actively soliciting people to sit on a jury. One report had it that it was a six-person jury, which would lead a person to believe it was a coroner’s jury. However, reliable info indicates that Roger Little, Hardin coroner, keeps a coroner’s jury seated (as he’s supposed to do….not that they ever have any death inquests in Hardin anyway).
Additional info received this morning (05.30.12) indicated that there seemed to be a need to solicit six MORE people to sit on a jury…leading a person to believe that the county is attempting to SEAT a jury of 12 (and two to three alternates) but is unable to.
This latter kind of plays in to what we’ve learned was jury trial scheduled to begin in the case of one Gideon Frailey/Fraley, set for today. Whether the prosecution and defense is having trouble seating a jury in the case is unknown at this time. However, Joyce…seriously….that’s not the way it’s done, girl. Going around actively soliciting people to sit on a jury in a regular trial is tantamount to jury tampering. You can’t “bring in” people you “know” who are willing to sit on a jury simply because you asked them to. There’s a reason for voir dire. This is it: to have an impartial and unbiased jury. And if this isn’t attainable in one day’s time, you go on a second and third day; ask Brandon Jenkins. If you can’t do that, you get a venue change. But you sure as HELL don’t “go out and find jurors.”
Let’s hope that isn’t really what was going on yesterday. We’re keeping our ear to the ground on it. We’ll let you know what we find out; you let us know what you know, if anything, and keep checking back.