Readers will recall the curious case of prospective juror E7 that occurred this past Wednesday, Zimmerman Prosp. Juror E7: “no conclusions,” but posted on pro-Trayvon, anti-Zimmerman site containing threat against Zimmerman.
That prospective juror since has been identified in the media as Jerry P. Counelis.
Here is the message he posted on a Facebook page belonging to the “Coffee Party Progressives” which was the subject of court questioning:
Counelis was dismissed from the jury pool for obvious reasons after he was confronted with his posting in open court.
In a strange twist, Counelis showed up at the court house today, where he was escorted away for trespassing:
As reported by Central Florida News 13:
A potential juror in the George Zimmerman trial who was dismissed earlier in the week over a Facebook post has been escorted from the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center after showing back up to the courthouse Friday.
According to news reports, Counelis had come to complain that his anonymity had been violated, and that he was hiring an lawyer, Deputies escort dismissed George Zimmerman juror from courthouse
A previously dismissed potential juror in the George Zimmerman second-degree murder trial was escorted off courthouse property by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office on Friday and warned he could be arrested for trespassing if he returns.SCSO tells Local 6 they “trespassed one of the dismissed jurors” from courthouse property.The potential juror, 55-year-old unemployed painter and guitar player Jerry Counelis, was eliminated from the jury pool on Wednesday after defense attorneys found a posting from him on a Facebook page from 2012.Counelis was at the courthouse on Friday during the lunch hour complaining about his anonymity and saying he is hiring an attorney. He was trespassed by authorities after about 30 minutes.
This highlights the problems of jury selection in a high profile case, where the jury pool is tainted by media publicity and predetermined opinions.
Counelis also is likely to experience the Streisand Effect, whereby his protests generate even more notoriety than the initial publicity.
Follow our Zimmerman trial coverage for all the details.
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