Q & A THE MIKE TYSON RAPE TRIAL

Reaction From Members of the Jury

One of the more compelling aspects of the Mike Tyson rape trial came shortly after the verdict was delivered Monday night. All the jurors were brought together and a news conference was shown on ESPN. What follows is a partial transcript of the conference. The questions are paraphrased for clarity. Several jurors answered questions, but all declined to give their names.

Jury Foreman: We did not as a group come to a conclusion until the conclusion of our deliberations. We worked long and hard and came to the conclusion just before we announced it.

Q: What brought you to a guilty verdict?

Foreman: I really felt that, generally speaking, that the state had made a stronger case and that was certainly enough to convince us to come to the verdict that we did.

Q: Was there one thing that stood out in your mind?

Foreman: I don’t think the closing arguments on either side had much of a bearing on it. We carefully considered the testimony that was given, and I think it was an accumulation of that testimony that in the end made for a very strong case.

Q: How many times did you vote?

Foreman: We voted three times on each count.

Q: What was the first vote?

Foreman: We did not really keep track of the numbers. We knew going in that it would be a preliminary vote and that we were just trying to gauge where we were.

Q: Was any witness more convincing than another?

Foreman: I think that the accusing witness made for a very good case and a very credible testimony.

Q: Did you notice a difference between the attorneys?

Foreman: There was an obvious stylistic difference between the attorneys. However I think that this particular group stayed very close to the testimony regardless of the way it was delivered or to the way the attorneys were speaking.

Q: Was there any testimony that was more important?

Foreman: I can’t say we found a key element of testimony. Then again, I think it was an accumulation of the testimony that was given from Day 1.

Q: How would you categorize the deliberations?

Foreman: I think there were periods of calm and periods that were heated. But it was still under control and we were very careful to try and maintain that control and that we didn’t get carried away.

Q: Do you think the fire at the hotel made you closer as a group?

Foreman: I think it did.

Q: Why?

Juror: There was an element of danger and we all came through. Not that we felt any danger.

Juror: Speaking from a woman’s perspective the men in this jury were very much gentlemen and they made sure that the females were first and that we were taken care of. That definitely made an impression on me.

Q: Was there any special feeling by the black members of the jury?

Juror: We were here to do a job, and I feel we did it in the best way we could.

Q: Was there a compelling piece of evidence or testimony?

Juror: I don’t think there was one compelling piece. As we said, we watched the testimony from the first day and it wasn’t an easy verdict to come to.

Q: Did you wonder why the accuser took her camera and was ready to see the sights?

Foreman: Certainly.

Q: Do you think your verdict will send out a message?

Juror: I hope it don’t. I hope people take it more as an individual deal. I would like to see more date-rape people come forward with a hope that they don’t have to live with it forever. But we took this case as a case and didn’t worry about the ramifications. All we wanted to do, and I think we did a very good job of that, was to be sure of what we did and to be fair.

Q: Immediately after the verdict people were saying it was a case of 10 whites getting a black man. How do you feel about that?

Juror: I don’t feel that had any effect on our deliberations (responded a black female).

Juror: It wasn’t a question of color (responded a white male).

Juror: It was not a issue of color (responded a black female).

Q: How do you feel right now?

Several Jurors: Relieved.