Mayor Is Still Tied Up With Jury Duty

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spent much of Monday in a downtown courtroom learning the facts of a murder case he could be called to help decide.

It was the second day in a week’s time that the mayor was at least partly tied up in court after receiving a summons to appear for jury service. But after a day of waiting Monday, he was neither picked for a jury nor dismissed -- because his turn to face questioning by lawyers and the judge had not yet arrived.

Instead, Villaraigosa was ordered to report back to the courtroom this morning at 9:15 sharp.

On trial in the case are two men, Arnold Wayne Lynch, 24, and Marcus Parks, 26. Each faces life in prison without parole if convicted of the murder of a jewelry vendor during a robbery on Sept. 12, 2002, at Avalon Discount Mart in Willowbrook. The men also face charges of conspiracy, second-degree robbery and voluntary manslaughter.

The presiding judge, Michael E. Pastor, said the case could keep jurors occupied until Oct. 21.

Villaraigosa watched Monday’s proceedings patiently, his hands folded in his lap. Most of the day was taken up with the questioning of some 27 of 74 potential jurors.

The judge and attorneys presented them with a grueling set of questions about their personal lives, past experience with the law and their opinions about police and the justice system. Villaraigosa is expected to eventually face some of those questions himself.

The mayor had to postpone or miss a number of meetings Monday, including a chat with the chief executive of the Home Depot chain. His office also canceled a news conference this morning in which Villaraigosa had planned to announce his nominees to the city Planning Commission.

“No special treatment,” the court clerk quipped as she prepared to corral Villaraigosa and other potential jurors into the courtroom Monday morning.

Villaraigosa repeatedly said he is proud to be called to jury duty despite the headaches.

“Obviously, it does impinge on my work,” he said. “But I really do see it as an obligation of citizenship and an honor.”

Not everyone was as cheerful about fulfilling his or her civic duty. The first fellow jury candidate to greet Villaraigosa asked him how to get out of service.

“Hey,” the mayor said with a chuckle. “If I can’t get off, you can’t get off.”