Here is a story about William Cellini's efforts to oveturn his conviction because a juror failed to disclose her prior felonies.
State Journal Register: Cellini to seek retrial after juror's felony convictions revealed
A lawyer for William Cellini, recently convicted of conspiring to shake down a Hollywood producer, said Friday he will ask a judge to overturn the verdicts on the grounds that one juror failed to disclose her felony criminal record — though legal experts say the bid for a reversal is still a long shot.
Cellini’s lead attorney, Dan Webb, told The Associated Press that Cellini’s legal team will request that U.S. Judge James Zagel on Monday throw out the two convictions and hold a second trial because the juror wasn’t forthcoming during jury selection. . . . to continue reading go here.
Despite the arguments put forward by defense counsel, it is not a sure bet that the defendant's conviction will be overturned. This is because jurors can serve even with a felony record if their civil rights have been restored. To determine whether a felon's civil rights have been restored, the federal court looks to state law, in this case Illinois, to see what standards or procedures have been set up to restore the civil rights of felons. However, even if the court decides that this juror in question did not have her civil rights restored, there is still no guarantee that the verdict will be overturned. This is because the defendant will still most likely have to show that the juror in question was actually biased.
Other media outlets reporting on the story:
NBC Chicago (Blog): Bad Juror Opens Door to Cellini Mistrial
The Republic: Convicted Ill. powerbroker Cellini calls for new trial due to ...
Chicago Tribune: Here we go again
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