Merchant of Death Trial Starts With Jury Pledge

You gotta love it when jurors are threatened with perjury before the trial even starts.

Opening statements were set to begin Wednesday in the trial of a former Soviet military officer accused of agreeing to sell weapons to anti-American rebels, but only after jurors promised in writing not to research the case on the Internet.
Viktor Bout, dubbed the Merchant of Death, was arrested in March 2008 in a Bangkok hotel, where authorities say he agreed to sell the weapons to U.S. operatives posing as anti-American rebels. He was brought to the United States late last year after losing a fight against extradition. The Russian government opposed his transfer.
Twelve jurors and three alternates were chosen Tuesday during a daylong process. U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin required all of them to sign a first-of-its-kind juror pledge, in which they promised not to research any of the issues or parties involved in the trial on the Internet. The pledge contained a signature line after the words: "Signed under penalty of perjury."
Before the jurors' selection, the judge questioned them to make sure they could remain objective despite mentions of weapons including high-powered rifles, missile launchers and Stinger missiles.
She also wanted jurors who would not be disturbed by allegations that Bout may have indulged in Africa many years ago in arms trafficking that did not break U.S. laws. No one said he or she was bothered by that.

By: Brant