WRTV Uses Carl Brizzi As Legal Expert On Jury Selection For Richmond Hills Explosion Case

WRTV is using former Marion Co. Prosecutor Carl Brizzi as a legal expert in its coverage of the Richmond Hills explosion case of Mark Leonard. Brizzi says he thinks it was a good strategy for defense lawyers to mention in front of jurors the allegation their client had tried to hire a hitman to kill a witness. Potential jurors found that information too difficult to look past in rendering judgment so the trial court judge dismissed the entire first pool of potential jurors during the jury selection process playing out in a South Bend courtroom. Brizzi likes the defense lawyer's strategy:

"What was interesting was that, prior to what occurred this week during jury selection, with that allegation being let out there, the defense had struggled mightily, but failed, to keep that fact from the jury," Brizzi said. "So the defense says, OK, fine, if it's going to come into evidence, then we have to make sure the jury knows about it and they can separate that fact out from whether or not he committed the arson."

Laying aside the wisdom of WRTV relying on Brizzi as an expert, regular Advance Indiana readers will recall that one of the reasons former Secretary of State Charlie White proffered in support of his contention he received ineffective counsel in his vote fraud case where Brizzi represented him was Brizzi's decision to attempt jury nullification during the jury selection process by asking potential jurors if someone guilty of a technical violation of a law seldom prosecuted should be found not guilty for that reason alone. White's argument, so far unsuccessful in the appeals process, contends Brizzi poisoned the jury pool by implying his guilt before the trial commenced.