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Thread: Kevin Charles Isom - Indiana Death Row

  1. #21
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    Isom jurors will face severe limitations

    About 270 jurors are expected for orientation Friday in the death penalty murder trial of a Gary man charged with three counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder.

    Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. had his chief bailiff testify about arrangements to keep the public away from the 12 jurors and four alternates who will be selected in the trial of Kevin Charles Isom, 46, who has pleaded not guilty.

    Isom is charged in the deaths of his wife and two stepchildren and the attempted murder of four Gary police officers in an August 2007 shooting at an apartment complex in the Miller section of Gary.

    During the trial, which is expected to last three or four weeks, jurors will be allowed to view the homicide scene as a group, including the front and back hallways and courtyard in the Lakeshore Dunes Apartments. The trial will run six days a week if scheduling permits.

    During their time away from court, jurors will be sequestered on one floor in an area motel in a separate wing, with two bailiffs assigned to be with them at all times, chief bailiff Michael Kelley said. Stefaniak’s decisions include the jurors will have no television, no phones, no computers, no electronic devices and no conjugal visits while the jury is sequestered. Kelley said he has looked into meals at a variety of restaurants, and Stefaniak decided jurors will be allowed one alcoholic drink with dinner. Arrangements will be made to accommodate interest in working out, swimming and for worship. Family members of jurors will be allowed a 90-minute visit on Sundays in a meeting room where 16 tables will be set up and bailiffs present, Kelley said.

    In light of the sacrifice jurors will make in putting their lives on hold for three or four weeks, Stefaniak said he will authorize juror payment of $100 per day instead of $50.

    “The goal of all these precautions is that jurors decide this case by what they see and hear in this courtroom,” Stefaniak said.

    Stefaniak said 266 jurors are expected at the Friday afternoon orientation. Four of the pool of 270 are expected for a Monday morning orientation. Jury selection is expected to last several days. During juror questioning by deputy prosecutors David Urbanski and Michelle Jatkiewicz and defense attorneys Herb Shaps and Casey McCloskey, jurors will be referred to by number and will not be publicly identified under a policy in effect since 2006.

    http://posttrib.suntimes.com/1083405...mitations.html

  2. #22
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    Snail's pace jury selection delays start of death penalty trial

    As the week wound down Friday, jurors tallied fewer than half the number needed to try a Gary man accused of murdering his wife and two stepchildren.

    Only six of the needed 12 jurors and two alternates had been selected.

    Kevin Isom, 46, faces the death penalty if convicted of the Aug. 6, 2007, shooting of his wife, Cassandra, 40, and her children, Michael Moore, 16, and Ci'Andria Cole, 13, in the Lakeshore Dunes Apartments in Gary's Miller neighborhood.

    In most such high-level felony cases, court watchers see prospective jurors questioned as a group of 12 with the number of excused jurors immediately replaced by a like number from the jury pool seated in the courtroom.

    Jury selection seldom takes more than a day.

    But Isom's 270-member jury pool is being whittled down one by one, which is why it is taking so long. Beginning a week ago, jury selection began as early as 8 a.m. and ended as late as 7 p.m.

    Unlike most trials, members of Isom's jury pool are not present during the intensive questioning by Lake Criminal Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. and/or attorneys for the state and the defense.

    Yet court officials familiar with the process said last week the individualized approach used in Isom's trial is not that unusual and is not specific to Isom's being at risk of the death penalty if convicted.

    "It's not unheard of, but it's not in every case," said veteran defense attorney Thomas Vanes, of Merrillville.

    Vanes said the manner and mode of choosing a jury tend to be "case-sensitive," and procedures can vary by court.

    For example, in federal courts in the area, all questioning of potential jurors is conducted solely by the judge. But in Lake County, the judge as well as prosecuting and defense attorneys may ask questions.

    "Questions can be submitted by both sides, but the questions are to be asked by the judge" in federal cases, Vanes said.

    Another Lake County official familiar with the courts, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the death penalty case, said defense attorneys often request individual questioning be done to prevent the views expressed by jurors during questioning to affect the rest of the jury pool.

    "The first task is to find the person guilty or not guilty, like in any other murder case," he said of Isom's trial. "Then, it moves into the penalty phase."

    After conviction, jurors also have the option of choosing life without the possibility of parole in lieu of death.

    http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/l...#ixzz1oFC3Fgty

  3. #23
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    Isom jury count stuck at nine

    The number of jurors seated for the murder trial of Kevin Isom remained at nine for the third day running on Monday.

    Isom faces the death penalty or life without the possibility of parole if convicted of killing his wife and her two children.

    Should jurors ultimately fail to recommend either option, Lake Criminal Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. may sentence Isom to a specific number of years, ranging from 40 to 65 years on each murder count.

    Jury selection in what had been expected to be a four-week trial began Feb. 27, but jury selection on Monday entered a third week.

    In addition to the typical 12-member jury, four alternates must be seated, rather than two, before the trial can move to opening arguments.

    Isom, 46, is accused of the Aug. 6, 2007, shooting of his wife, Cassandra, 40, and her children, Michael Moore, 16, and Ci'Andria Cole, 13, in the Lakeshore Dunes Apartments in Gary's Miller neighborhood

    http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/l...#ixzz1ox2qlBLJ
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  4. #24
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    Not enough jurors dooms Isom case to mistrial

    The capital murder trial of a Gary man charged with killing his wife and stepchildren ended Wednesday in mistrial after running out of jurors.

    Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. said declaring the mistrial was “the only appropriate and fair resolution in light of the circumstances” shortly after the last juror was eliminated from consideration Wednesday afternoon, the 15th day of jury selection. A total of nine jurors were selected to hear evidence in the case.

    Stefaniak said the number of potential jurors summoned for jury service was 150 more than the last death penalty case in which Darryl Jeter was sentenced to life in prison in 2006 for the murder of Indiana State Police Trooper Scott Patrick. Stefaniak said the fact the jury pool in the Isom case was consumed couldn’t have been predicted or foreseen and that the parties had made a good-faith effort to pick a jury to hear evidence.

    Stefaniak offered Isom the option of going to trial with just nine jurors, but Isom said he agreed with his defense team. Veteran public defenders Herb Shaps and Casey McCloskey have logged hundreds of hours, at more than $100 per hour, in preparing for the case and attending hearings.

    Chief Public Defender David Schneider said he would not comment on costs associated with the case while it is pending. The case is being prosecuted by deputy prosecutors David Urbanski and Michelle Jatkiewicz. Gary police Detective James Bond is lead investigator.

    Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter would not comment on whether his office would withdraw the death penalty request when the case is retried.

    After Stefaniak declared the mistrial, Isom appeared to become emotional as he shook hands with and hugged Shaps and McCloskey before he was returned to the Lake County Jail, where he has been held without bail since the shooting deaths of Cassandra Isom, 40; Michael Moore, 16, and Ci’Andria Cole, 13.

    Isom has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges and four counts of attempted murder involving Gary police who were called Aug. 6, 2007, to the Lakeshore Dunes Apartments to investigate gunshots inside the family apartment.

    The victims’ family members have attended every court hearing since charges were filed more than four years ago. They left shortly before Stefaniak’s ruling.

    A status hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. March 29.

    http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/la...-mistrial.html
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  5. #25
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    New trial for Isom will start with November jury selection

    Prosecutors and defense attorneys were in court Thursday to begin anew the work necessary to select a jury in the death penalty case involving a Gary man charged with three counts of murder.

    Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. said Kevin Isom’s trial will begin with opening statements and presentation of evidence starting Jan. 7. Jury selection will begin Nov. 26. The judge said he anticipates 12-hour days Monday through Friday for questioning.

    Isom’s first trial ended in mistrial March 14 after exhausting the pool of jurors who met the qualifications and had completed a questionnaire focusing on their views about the death penalty, the criminal justice system and other topics. Attorneys questioned jurors for 15 days and selected nine—a total of 12 plus four alternates are needed.

    Stefaniak said he will direct Court Administrator Martin Goldman to issue summons for 1,000 potential jurors, who will be prescreened and then asked to fill out a questionnaire. The judge asked deputy prosecutors David Urbanski and Michelle Jatkiewicz and defense attorneys Herb Shaps and Casey McCloskey to work on condensing the survey and revising the instructional letter to jurors.

    The next hearing is April 20 for jurors who failed to show up for questioning during jury selection.

    Isom, 46, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder in the August 2007 shooting deaths of his wife, Cassandra Isom, 40, and stepchildren Michael Moore, 16, and Ci’Andria Cole, 13, and four attempted murder counts involving Gary police officers called to the family’s Miller apartment to investigate gunfire.

    http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/la...selection.html
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  6. #26
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    Lake County death penalty jury pool swells to 1,150 residents

    Lawyers have widened their search for an impartial jury to hear evidence against a Gary man accused of killing his wife and two stepchildren five years ago.

    Lake Criminal Court Judge Thomas P. Stefaniak ordered his staff to add 150 new names to an already outsized jury pool that now swells to 1,150 county residents.

    Stefaniak said he wants ensure Kevin Isom, 46, of Gary, gets a fair and impartial jury that represents the county's diverse demographics. "This doesn't exclude anyone because of race, gender, creed or national origin," Stefaniak said at a Friday morning pre-trial hearing.

    Isom is pleading not guilty to charges he murdered his wife, Cassandra, 40, and two stepchildren, Michael Moore, 16, and Ci'Andria Cole, 13, August 2007 in their apartment in Gary's Miller Beach neighborhood. The state is seeking his execution because of the crime's severity.

    A typical criminal court jury is selected from a pool of fewer than 100 randomly selected residents, but the stakes in a death penalty trial are so high, judges widen their jury pools to ensure a fair proceeding that won't be overturned on appeal.

    The Isom case has experienced extraordinary delays. His original attorney Nick Thiros died nearly two years ago and the county's public defender office had to be brought in and relaunch Isom's defense.

    The lawyers attempted to begin his trial last February, but were unable to find enough jurors from a pool that started at 600, but dwindled to fewer than a dozen after lawyers excused many for reasons ranging from medical disability to those who have ethical objections to the death penalty.

    Stefaniak added the new 150 Friday because 100 from an earlier list of 1,000 people haven't filled out questionnaires about their eligibility and another 50 may have to be excused from jury duty.

    His new trial is set to begin Jan. 7, 2012.

    http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/l...5ff5d6341.html
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  7. #27
    Junior Member Stranger allenlevi's Avatar
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    His new trial is set to begin on January 7, 2013.

  8. #28
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    Potential jurors interviewed in latest effort at murder trial

    Potential jurors were interviewed Friday in the latest effort to try a Gary man charged with murdering his wife and two stepchildren.

    The last jury selection process in the death penalty case against Kevin Isom ended in March when Lake Criminal Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. declared a mistrial because the jury pool was exhausted.

    Since then, Stefaniak has significantly increased the number of jurors to be contacted for possible service.

    Stefaniak took time for Friday's lunchtime hearing in the midst of a second major trial in two weeks.

    Friday's hearing focused on jury disqualification, part of an intensive process to identify 12 jurors and four alternates for Isom's trial, which is set to begin Nov. 26.

    Jurors will be sequestered for the trial, estimated to take four weeks.

    Isom, 46, is accused of the August 2007 murder of his wife, Cassandra, 40, and two stepchildren — Michael Moore, 16, and Ci'Andria Cole, 13 — in their apartment in Gary's Miller Beach neighborhood.

    http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/l...a9d4f21c9.html
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  9. #29
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    Jury selection process refined in death penalty case

    In an effort to streamline the jury selection process in an upcoming death penalty murder trial, prosecutors and defense attorneys will review responses on long-form questionnaires to determine whether some potential jurors can be excused for hardship reasons.

    Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr., who will preside at the trial of Kevin Charles Isom, ruled that some of the jurors could potentially avoid having to be questioned in court by the attorneys if they can agree potential hardship reasons exist.

    Isom’s first trial on three counts of murder of his family members and four counts of attempted murder involving Gary police officers ended in mistrial on March 14 when there weren’t enough jurors to complete the panel. As was the case during the first trial, jurors who complete a lengthy questionnaire will be questioned individually.

    Isom, 46, is charged in the shooting deaths of his wife, Cassandra Isom, 40, and stepchildren, Michael Moore, 16, and Ci’Andria Cole, 13. The shootings occurred Aug. 6, 2007, inside the family’s apartment in the Lakeshore Dunes Apartment in the Miller section of Gary.

    The initial pool of jurors numbered 1,150 and has been winnowed to about 600.

    Last time, the entire jury pool was 273.

    On Friday, three potential jurors were excused from jury duty. Six potential jurors were ordered to appear Oct. 25 for a contempt hearing for skipping Friday’s hearing.

    Jury selection will begin in November.

    Isom’s trial is set to begin Jan. 7 and could last four weeks or longer.

    http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/la...alty-case.html
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  10. #30
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    Final jury selection to begin in Isom death penalty case

    Beginning Monday, Lake County court officials will launch the final exhaustive round of selecting jurors in the county's only death penalty case.

    An effort in March to seat a death-penalty-qualified jury ended with Lake Criminal Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. declaring a mistrial when the jury pool was depleted with only nine jurors seated.

    Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter amended murder and attempted murder charges against 46-year-old Kevin Isom to include the death penalty back in January 2008.

    Isom is charged in the Aug. 6, 2007, slayings of his wife, Cassandra, 40, and two stepchildren -- Michael Moore, 16, and Ci'Andria Cole, 13 -- in their apartment in Gary's Miller Beach neighborhood.

    The triple homicide was discovered when Gary police raided Isom's apartment after a standoff of several hours. A neighbor of the family had alerted police to the sound of gunshots about 10:30 p.m.

    Court documents state Isom was found on the floor of a bedroom with a revolver in his waistband and his wife and stepchildren shot dead.

    Isom is reported telling police his wife, upset about his unemployment, had mentioned leaving him a few days before the shootings.

    The trial has experienced numerous delays, including the determination of Isom's competency to stand trial, the death of a private defense counsel, the appointment of public defenders and the failure to seat a jury.

    Following the mistrial, Stefaniak doubled the number of prospective jurors to 1,150, who received a 48-page questionnaire exploring their suitability.

    Some 700 have been excused since June, leaving a pool of 450 jurors, who this month attended orientation meetings to familiarize them with the final phase of the process.

    Each prospective juror now will be interviewed individually by Stefaniak, the state and the defense teams to select 12 jurors and five alternates.

    Stefaniak during last week's orientation emphasized the seriousness of the task.

    Stefaniak said jurors will be charged with deciding not only Isom's guilt but also his fate if convicted. Isom faces the death penalty, a sentence of life without the possibility of parole or a sentence of a specific number of years.

    "Life without the possibility of parole in Indiana means just that," Stefaniak said.

    Stefaniak said the upcoming interviews will continue six days a week until Dec. 21 or a jury is selected.

    To be seated, jurors must be what is known as "death-qualified."

    According to the Death Penalty Information Center, to be death-sentence trial qualified, jurors must be able to consider both execution and life in prison without strong predispositions to either. They must be able to consider both aggravating and mitigating evidence and render a death sentence in an appropriate case.

    Despite having completed the questionnaire, which explores an individual's position on the death penalty as well as practical matters prohibiting jury service, Stefaniak said individual interviews are necessary.

    "From time to time, people do change their mind," he said. Stefaniak said the entire goal was to assure Isom a fair trial.

    Stefaniak and Lake County court administrator Martin Goldman each recognized the sacrifice involved.

    Jurors will be sequestered beginning Jan. 7 for a trial estimated to take from three to five weeks. They will be working 10 to 12 hours a day six days a week for pay of $100 a day.

    Goldman expressed his appreciation but also forewarned scofflaw jurors, saying noncompliant jurors will be taken to task.

    Court records show several jurors called for service in the Isom trial have been found in contempt of court and fined, one as much as $500.

    http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/l...4b2c8ef4f.html
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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