From the Sun-Times:
Did Ryan juror blab about case?
April 12, 2006
BY MARK J. KONKOL AND NATASHA KORECKI Staff Reporters
A Chicago radio station has been hit with a federal subpoena in the latest
twist involving jurors in the corruption trial of former Gov. George Ryan.
Defense lawyers and prosecutors spent a half-day in closed-door talks in
the judge's chambers Tuesday, but it was unclear what they discussed. Lawyers
would not comment due to a gag order.
But the subpoena and a tape of a conversation that aired on WLS-AM's "Roe
Conn Show" March 28 -- a day after two Ryan jurors were dismissed -- indicate
a juror may have discussed the case outside the jury room. U.S. District Judge
Rebecca Pallmeyer has repeatedly reminded jurors not to talk about the case when
they are not deliberating.
The subpoena asked for a tape of the conversation, which the radio station
has provided, and any records relating to the caller's identity. WLS-AM producer
Todd Ronczkowski said the call-in line does not have Caller ID technology.
Caller said he talked with juror
A caller who identified himself as a dry cleaner named "Dennis"
said he had a conversation about the trial with one of his customers -- a woman
who he claimed is a juror on the case. Conn and WLS-Channel 7 anchor Ron Magers,
a show contributor, talked with the man on the air for two minutes, 10 seconds.
"I have a small business and one of my customers is on the jury. And
today, I saw her for the first time in quite a while, and we were talking briefly
about it," the caller said.
Magers immediately chimed in, "Oh, I don't want to know this."
Conn reminded listeners he didn't know for sure if the man's claims were legitimate.
The caller said the juror told him deliberations hadn't started yet when
the other two jurors were dismissed. "Basically up to this point in time,
they've been going over the rules that they were given," the caller said,
apparently referencing the nearly 150 instructions on the law Pallmeyer gave jurors.
The caller also said he told the juror about a TV news report where the
son of a dismissed juror said she felt sorry for Ryan, and they discussed the
news report. The caller said the juror in question responded that she thought
the dismissed juror's feelings about Ryan was one of the reasons the woman was
let go.
Jurors have been instructed not to be exposed to media reports about the
trial.
After two jurors were dismissed for not revealing criminal histories, Pallmeyer
allowed deliberations to start from scratch with two alternate jurors but didn't
rule out a mistrial in the future.
If another juror is dismissed, there are few options that would allow Pallmeyer
to restart talks once again. She already swapped in two alternates. And a third
who has had a DUI conviction -- that he disclosed during jury selection -- appeared
to be skipped over when Pallmeyer chose the two.
Conn said the caller could have been fake, but his radio instinct is that
Dennis the dry cleaner had a "certain amount of credibility."
Conn said he hasn't decided whether to make an on-air plea for "Dennis"
to reveal himself and talk with prosecutors.
"This is not a place I want be. I have a lot of respect for the judge.
... [She] will separate fact from fiction," he said. "[But] if this
juror is talking out of school, the judge needs to know that, too."
Jury deliberations were cut short Tuesday at the jury's request, but they
are expected to continue this morning.