The public defender grilled Steve this morning, asking if he had a mother, still living, and if she was in her 80’s.

“Why, yes,” Steve answered. “In fact, my mother-in-law is still living, too, and is in her 80’s.”

(Now that I can blog about it…the case is a double homicide of two elderly ladies, plus three other counts of burglary and assault.)

“The thing is,” Steve went on to say, “I know how defenseless and vulnerable my mother and mother-in-law are.”

“Well,” said the public defender, “I agree that elderly people might seem defenseless, but can you separate your feelings so that you can be objective about this case?”

Steve hesitated just a second too long.

And Juror #5 was dismissed!