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Case 1:20-cr-00330-PAE Document653_ Filed 04/01/22 Page 38 of 40
3. The Court rejects the Defendant’s additional post-hearing argument
that Juror 50 was biased because he failed to follow instructions.
In her post-hearing briefing, the Defendant argues that Juror 50’s testimony that he was
“absolutely not” concerned with following the Court’s instructions when filling out the
questionnaire is an additional ground for concluding that Juror 50 was unable to serve as an
unbiased juror. Maxwell Post-Hearing Br. at 11—12 (quoting Hearing Tr. at 18). The Court
disagrees.
Juror 50’s testimony established that his lack of diligence was limited to the
questionnaire session. Juror 50 showed up for trial on time every day and appeared to the Court
that he was attentive throughout trial. There is no indication that Juror 50 failed to follow this
Court’s instructions during voir dire, trial, or deliberations. Juror 50 explained that he was
unconcerned with following the Court’s instructions while completing the questionnaire because
he was “super distracted” and believed that there was no possibility that he would be selected for
the jury. Hearing Tr. at 40. Voir dire, he testified, was a “different situation.” /d. at 41. When
he answered the Court’s questions in person at voir dire, he had not been “sitting there for
hours . . . thinking about [his] ex.” /d. He felt confident that he accurately answered all of the
Court’s questions. This included affirming that he was able to follow the Court’s instructions as
to the presumption of innocence and the law generally, the prohibition on consuming media on
the case or any other extraneous information, and his ability to put any prior knowledge to the
side and decide the case based on the evidence, or lack of evidence, presented at trial. Voir Dire
Tr. at 128-31. Under oath, he testified that although he “can become distracted,” that “had no
effect” on him serving and “listening to all the evidence given during the trial.” Hearing Tr. at
41. The Court confirmed that Juror 50 “carefully” followed the Court’s instructions during voir
dire and trial. Id.
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Document Details
| Filename | DOJ-OGR-00010361.jpg |
| File Size | 709.9 KB |
| OCR Confidence | 94.4% |
| Has Readable Text | Yes |
| Text Length | 2,146 characters |
| Indexed | 2026-02-03 17:57:59.667059 |