Cirignano trial: jury selection

I think Larry Cirignano’s lost some weight, because I didn’t recognize him entering court this morning until it was almost too late to snap his picture.

Today’s events in skylit Courtroom 24 began with a number of motions by the prosection and defense. At one point, the defense lawyer argued that if you have a permit for a demonstration, you have the right to use force to keep people with a contrary message out of the area. You’ll remember that Mr. Cirignano is accused of assaulting a woman at a rally last December at Worcester City Hall.

Things today got as far as impanelling the jury. Eight people; five men, three women; one black man; only one person younger than late middle age.

• You should be able to read more detailed accounts of the action later today from Bay Windows’ Ethan Jacobs (who’s been subpoenaed, but wasn’t at the incident itself and probably won’t testify).
• T&G reporter Richard Nangle, who was present at the crime, has been asked to testify, but the paper’s lawyers are fighting it “tooth and nail.” Mr. Nangle was present in court briefly this morning, but didn’t say anything.
• Shari Worthington, who’s filed a scam complaint against the woman Cirignano assaulted, is herself scheduled to be a witness in the case. Her statements about her criminal complaint have been cuckoo, so it’ll be interesting to hear her talk under oath. Maybe we can get a sense of her motivations.

If you want to come down to see the beginning of the trial, it starts 9am, Wednesday, October 17, Fourth Floor, Courtroom 24, 224 Main Street, Worcester.

N.B. Comments that add nothing but insults to the conversation will be deleted (unless the insults are really good).

Update: Here’s the relevant podcast and essays (one and two) from Michael Ball:

We’ll see how it goes, but I think Cirignano is probably going to be sorry he didn’t plea on this one.