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Jurors' jokes spark ire of defense

This story originally appeared February 10, 2007

By JESSICA LOGAN, Californian staff writer
e-mail: jlogan@bakersfield.com | Friday, Feb 16 2007 12:53 PM

Last Updated: Friday, Feb 16 2007 12:53 PM

Jokes about police and jury service among potential jurors Friday in the Vincent Brothers case drew charges from the defense that these jurors could not be fair.

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As the potential jurors took a break from questioning, a few of them made jokes and conversation that another juror found troubling. She reported the jokes to Kern County Superior Court Judge Michael Bush and at least some of the jurors were questioned about what they said and heard.

One juror said police have a love affair with their weapons and another juror admitted he joked that "the wife has to sleep on the sofa because he (the officer) bought a new rifle."

This juror also repeated a joke he heard -- that he didn't want a juror on his case who wasn't smart enough to get out of jury duty.

The juror assured the judge it was only a joke.

Another juror said she was surprised she was not kicked off because she was related to an officer. A second juror said he too was related to an officer and said they must have been picked for a reason.

Defense attorney Anthony Bryan asked for the second juror to be kicked off the jury because he must be prejudiced against Brothers for saying he was picked for a reason.

The judge said that all the remarks did not cause any harm and none of the jurors were kicked off.

But Bryan said the group had been poisoned by these remarks.

In the afternoon, Deputy District Attorney Lisa Green again asked the jurors if they ever thought about killing a current or former spouse. Green elicited a round of nervous chuckles.

When she asked the same question Thursday, she was met with stony faces and no hands.

Next week, jury selection will continue. Bush plans to call another 75 new jurors because he doesn't have enough for the attorneys to choose from.

Brothers, a former vice principal, is accused of killing his wife, Joanie Harper; their three children, Marques, Lyndsey and Marshall; and Joanie Harper's mother, Earnestine.

Brothers has pleaded not guilty.

His family was found dead on July 8, 2003, and he was arrested in April 2004 on suspicion of committing the murders.