Attorney Mark Eiglarsh has expressed concerns about the possibility of “stealth jurors” in the trial of Luigi Mangione, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Lisa Trerotola, in 2017. During a pre-trial hearing, Eiglarsh, who represents Mangione’s co-defendant, stated that he is worried about jurors who may be sympathetic to the prosecution’s case due to their own personal experiences or biases.
Eiglarsh’s concerns are based on his observation that some potential jurors appeared to be overly emotional or seemed to be swayed by the prosecution’s argument. He believes that these jurors may not be impartial and could potentially impact the outcome of the trial.
“This repulses me,” Eiglarsh said during the hearing. “We can’t have a jury that is so emotional that they’re going to convict based on emotions rather than the law.”
Eiglarsh’s comments have sparked concerns about the potential for “stealth jurors” to influence the trial’s outcome. Stealth jurors are individuals who may appear to be impartial on the surface but secretly harbor biases or sympathies for one side or the other.
The issue of stealth jurors has been a topic of debate in the legal community, with some arguing that it is impossible to eliminate biases completely, while others believe that more rigorous screening processes can help identify and exclude biased jurors.
The trial of Luigi Mangione is scheduled to begin later this year, and Eiglarsh’s concerns about stealth jurors will likely continue to be a topic of discussion in the lead-up to the trial.