Washington State sheriff used courtroom camera to zoom in on defense attorney and juror’s private notes
Screenshots from the video provided by Power that show close-ups of a trial exhibit, a steno book belonging to the No. 3 juror in the case, and a legal pad belonging to Kenimond were introduced as evidence at the hearing and played into Eaton’s decision to dismiss the charges with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled. Eaton has not yet issued written findings in connection with the dismissal. Kenimond was representing Lopez Island resident Dustin Schible in what was by all accounts a routine, low-level misdemeanor criminal trial before a district court jury when the misconduct was revealed. Power said Monday the only thing unusual was that the case was being heard by Eaton, a retired jurist who was filling in while District Judge Kathryn Loring worked on another matter. If that hadn’t been the case, Kenimond said, the whole incident likely would have gone unnoticed. “And that might be the most frightening thing of all,” she said.
Sheriff’s use of courtroom camera to view juror’s notebook, lawyer’s notes sparks dismissal of criminal case [Mike Carter/Seattle Times] (via Lowering the Bar)