Attributions

It's been said. . .

"This ongoing campaign to punish the jurors for their verdict has been the subject of intense public and media attention. This Court should send a loud and clear message that such efforts will not be tolerated any longer."

U.S. prosecutors' response to a post-trial motion from

defense lawyers for former Gov. George Ryan asking the judge to question jurors under oath about possible irregularities

• • •

“Will you stop! It's not appropriate to interrupt each other in my court.”

Ryan trial judge Rebecca Pallmeyer as attorneys tried

to talk over each other during a post-trial hearing;

Pallmeyer denied the defense motion for mistrial

• • •

“If the public understood the extent of the court's power, perhaps the electorate would insist that Congress do its job on a variety of issues – including desegregation, Guantanamo Bay detainees, eminent domain and defendants' rights – instead of punting to the court. Or perhaps the public would insist that our presidents nominate justices with sensitivity to these matters … (T)elevision's klieg lights in the Supreme Court would be the public's best informant.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) on his bill that would

mandate that the U.S. Supreme Court be open to

televised coverage unless the court found an

adverse effect on a case-by-case basis