Subject: Dissenting Juror Tried for Contempt (UPI) 
  Date:  Wed, 02 Oct 96 19:43:36 -0800 
  From:  [j--g--s] at [WelcomeHome.org]
    To:  [J--H--S] at [WELCOMEHOME.ORG]


Subject: Dissenting juror tried for contempt
Date: Tue, 1 Oct 1996 21:40:15 PDT

        CENTRAL CITY, Colo., Oct. 1 (UPI) -- A woman who failed to reveal her
criminal past before serving on a jury hearing a drug case and then
argued with fellow jurors over her vote to acquit went on trial Tuesday
on contempt charges for ignoring a judge's instructions.
        Laura Kriho of Nederland, Colo. was cited by a judge in July for
ignoring instructions not to discuss possible sentences during jury
deliberations in the case of a 19-year-old woman charged with felony
possession of amphetamines.
        Deliberations in the May trial became hostile after Kriho voted to
acquit and the 11 other jurors voted to convict.
        The jury had already convicted the defendant of criminal
impersonation and acquitted her on one drug paraphernalia count before
becoming deadlocked on a felony drug possession charge.
        One juror sent Judge Kenneth Barnhill a note saying Kriho had
disobeyed his instructions and told other jurors what sentences the
defendant would face if found guilty of drug possession.
        Barnhill declared a mistrial in the drug possession case and
eventually cited Kriho for contempt, which could land her in jail for
six months if convicted. Barnhill recused himself from the contempt
case.
        Kriho was also cited for not disclosing she was convicted of felony
drug charges in 1984. She claims she was not asked specifically about
her criminal record and said she believed the deferred sentence she
received would wipe her record clean in 1986.
        The contempt citation has drawn the attention of several groups,
including the Constitutional Law Foundation in Denver.
        ``This is the first time in 300 years this has happened,'' said
foundation member Bill Orr. ``The last time was when William Penn was
tried for illegal assembly under the Crown. Now we have a jury who got
upset with a juror, and they asked the court to prosecute.''



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