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Lottery Used To Select Members Of Grand Jury - Two Grand Juries Off and Running
Rickey StokesViewed: 7095
Posted by: RStokes
Date: Dec 10 2012 4:01 PM
HOUSTON COUNTY: Before 8:00 AM people were coming in the Houston County Courthouse pursuant to the some 200 plus summons issued by Houston County Circuit Court Clerk Carla Woodall.
The summons to appear were at the order of the Presiding Judge of the Twentieth Judicial Circuit, Butch Binford. That order was pursuant to a request filed on behalf of Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange requesting a “special Grand Jury”.
The request filed on behalf of the Attorney General by a Special Prosecutor by the name of Hart, was for the Grand Jury to sit for a period of one year.
In a conversation with District Attorney Doug Valeska, while the Attorney General has included his name on the subpoenas, Valeska denies any involvement with Strange. Valeska told me that he does not know what the Attorney General is looking for.
Valeska had a Grand Jury, however Attorney General Luther Strange wanted his “own” Grand Jury.
Today, through a scientific method of a “lottery”, the names of 18 persons were drawn from a tin can to be the persons selected as a sitting Grand Jury. The 18 persons drawn like a lottery will be the Special Grand Jury. When your name is drawn someone yells "BINGO", and you are then on the Luther Strange Grand Jury!
Another 18 persons were drawn like a lottery. These 18 persons will sit under the leadership of District Attorney Doug Valeska for a regular and routine Grand Jury.
The Luther Strange Grand Jury went to the third of the Houston County Courthouse where they met in the courtroom assigned to Circuit Judge Kevin Moulton. The regular Grand Jury met in the normal meeting place on the first floor of the Houston County Courthouse.
Lottery Drawing System To Select Grand Jury Members
More than 200 names are selected to be on the panel of the persons to be selected for Grand Jury. Following the process of elimination of persons who can not serve for a legal reason, the names are placed in a red tin can. A tin can like your Christmas candy comes in.
After the can is shaken, the names are drawn at random. Then BINGO - you are a Grand Jury member! That is how the 18 persons are selected for Grand Jury.
Testimony
Following the selection and instructions to the Grand Jurors, witnesses selected by the Alabama Attorney General Office began appearing before the Grand Jury.
As time develops, the members of the Grand Jury – not just the Attorney General Office – but members of the Grand Jury, can expand their scope of investigation. The Grand Jurors can request other evidence and other witnesses to be brought before them.
The current members of the Houston County Commission and former Houston County Commissioner Francis Cook and Bobby Snellgrove, each appeared before the Grand Jury today.
At this time we do not know if the scope of the Grand Jury investigation will extend to the reports of the Indian money and contributions being given to former Governor Bob Riley and the current Attorney General Luther Strange. That is certainly within the discretion of the members of the Grand Jury as I understand from some legal minds.
The prosecutors of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and/or prosecutors at all are barred by law from being present with the Grand Jury during deliberations and voting on the matters at hand.
The former Chief Prosecutor of the Twentieth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Office, Houston and Henry County, Gary Maxwell, is one of the attorneys who is representing some of those persons ordered to appear before the Grand Jury. Maxwell brings years of experience in the legal field and served a career with the people of Houston and Henry County as a Prosecutor. Maxwell came out of retirement in order to provide leegal assistance to some of the persons who were ordered to appear.
Also on stand by with some ordered to appear before the Luther Strange Grand Jury, Attorney William White, the son of Supernumery Circuit Judge Jerry White, is on hand at the Houston County Courthouse.
Both Maxwell and White are there for truth and justice to prevail in those ordered to appear.
PICTURE 1: Lottery Christmas cookie container where Grand Juror names are placed in can to be drawn from to serve as Grand Jury members.
PICTURE 2: Panaromic view of the room where all potential jurors meet to be screened.
PICTURE 3: Grand Jury Room on the first floor of Houston County Courthouse where Grand Juries normally meet.
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