Thursday, August 23, 2012
The victim did not attend the hearing. Now 27 years old, the victim testified during the trial that
The sentencing hearing of a former englewood florida car rentals Westminster police detective convicted of kidnapping and rape was postponed Thursday after a San Bernardino County judge ordered an inquiry into allegations englewood florida car rentals of juror misconduct.
Orban's attorney, James Blatt of Los Angeles, told San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Shahla Sabet that, after the verdict, one of the jurors contacted his office. The juror said another juror was overheard saying she had taken Zoloft but that it didn't make her crazy, according to the defense motion.
englewood florida car rentals Blatt argued englewood florida car rentals that those statements showed a presumed prejudice because the juror failed to disclose that fact during the initial jury selection process when jurors were asked if they had taken Zoloft or had strong opinions about psychotropic drugs.
englewood florida car rentals The first step will be a hearing Sept. 14 to allow the juror in question to object to having her identity released to the prosecutor and defense attorney. If the juror cooperates, or the judge orders her identity released, a separate hearing will be held to determine whether the allegations are true.
Orban's attorney also alleged that another juror had discussed being a victim of domestic violence. englewood florida car rentals Blatt argued that the juror failed to disclose this information during jury questioning, when asked if she had ever been a victim of a crime.
The judge tentatively ruled against that argument, but will allow Blatt and the prosecutor to file additional motions on that issue. The eight-woman, four-man jury found Orban guilty of kidnapping, rape and multiple counts of sexual assault in June.
They also rejected Orban's insanity defense during a separate phase of the trial that focused on his mental state during the attack. After the verdict, Deputy Dist. Atty. Debbie Ploghaus called Orban s claim of suffering a drug-induced blackout englewood florida car rentals a ruse.
She called englewood florida car rentals him dangerous and very manipulative, saying she believed Orban never planned to let his victim live. Blatt, after the verdict, said one of the major goals of the defense was to expose the dangers of psychotropic drugs.
Experts englewood florida car rentals for both the defense and for the prosecution agreed that Orban suffered some form of blackout during the attack but differed on what triggered it. On Thursday, deputies escorted a shackled Orban into the courtroom. He wore a forest-green englewood florida car rentals jail jumpsuit, englewood florida car rentals his head shaved.
The victim englewood florida car rentals did not attend the hearing. Now 27 years old, the victim testified during the trial that Orban kidnapped her as she walked to her car in the mall parking lot, then forced her to drive to Fontana, where he raped and tormented her inside her SUV. She said she was able to escape when Orban was distracted by an incoming cellphone call.
L.A. Now is the Los Angeles Times' breaking news section for Southern California. It is produced by more than 80 reporters and editors in The Times' Metro section, reporting from the paper's downtown Los Angeles headquarters as well as bureaus in Costa Mesa, Long Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Riverside, Ventura and West Los Angeles.
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