WHDH Could Cause A Mistrial In The Hernandez Case Because They Stalked Jurors

FALL RIVER — Two jurors deliberating in the first-degree murder trial of Aaron Hernandez said a television van was following them after court let out yesterday, and the judge presiding over the trial threatened to bar the station from the courthouse. “This is a very serious matter. I’m going to give you the opportunity to do some investigating,” Superior Court Judge E. Susan Garsh told WHDH-TV 7News reporter Byron Barnett this morning. Garsh — alongside Hernandez’s defense team and prosecutors – interviewed two different jurors at sidebar. The first juror, a young male, entered the courtroom holding his cell phone. Garsh told the media that one of the jurors had snapped a photo of the news van’s license plate after being followed. A second juror, a young woman, also came in and spoke to the judge. They are both deliberating jurors, and later returned with the entire jury. There are 15 jurors, and three are alternates. Garsh said jurors reported to her that the van, which was being driven by one person, was following them. She said that “could have led to the dismissal of two jurors” and potentially, down the road, “a mistrial.” Juror harassment can be a felony under Massachusetts law.

WHOOPS! Should we not have stalked and harassed jurors on their way home form deliberating a high-profile murder? Was that wrong? Ballsy move by channel 7 doing all this in their news van, not exactly subtle. I’m just picturing this huge truck tailing a juror at 2 MPH and every time he turns around they duck down and say “Did he see us!?!” I’m not too hip to stalking tactics but I know when hunting prey it’s best not to wear a huge sign depicting your employer and letting them know exactly where to find you. You gotta wear dark clothes, hide in bushes, drug them so they give you whatever information you need. That kind of stuff that I’ve definitely never done and only have knowledge of because of movies.

PS – I guess the judge is making the driver testify under oath whether he was ordered to do this by a higher up or not. Seems like a bit of a waste of time. I can assure you that the driver of a news van did not decide that the murder trial involving a Patriots player was the perfect time to go off book and start stalking juror members and potentially (though an extreme long shot) ruin a murder trial.