McMartin Juror in Hospital for Tests
An ailing juror in the marathon McMartin Pre-School molestation trial has been hospitalized for diagnostic tests and may have to be replaced by the last remaining alternate.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William Pounders ordered the other jurors to return today in the hope that he will have further information about the juror’s condition from his physician.
If the physician feels the juror will be unable to rejoin the panel next week--when the prosecution has scheduled a key rebuttal witness, an expert in pedophilia--testimony will resume Thursday with the alternate taking the ailing man’s seat.
Both sides have rested their cases, but rebuttal, surrebuttal and closing arguments remain. Pounders has vowed to get the case to the jury by Dec. 1.
The judge has repeatedly voiced fears of “the probability” of a mistrial as the number of jurors dwindles. Five have been released during the trial, now in its 29th month.
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