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Villagomez says media ‘corrupted’ community
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Posted on Nov 12 2008
Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez said the relentless media coverage of his indictment has “corrupted the community,” making it harder to empanel a fair and impartial jury.
The extensive media coverage in the case has also created “an air of prejudice” against public officials of the CNMI, he said in another motion filed in federal court.
For this reason, Villagomez, through his lawyer, David J. Lujan, is proposing a jury questionnaire to assist the court, the prosecution and the defense in selecting a fair and impartial jury.
The Guam-based lawyer said the jury questionnaire would serve as a more efficient tool to unearth bias and prejudice than oral questioning in court, and may also expedite the jury selection process.
“This is especially true in this case, considering that defendant is a well known public figure and the second highest ranking government official in the Commonwealth,” he said.
Furthermore, Lujan noted, Villagomez is also associated with the ongoing power/electricity issues plaguing the CNMI.
Other jurisdictions, the lawyer said, have allowed the use of a jury questionnaire when appropriate to weed out bias and prejudice, especially in a high profile case such as Villagomez’s.
Villagomez has filed a separation motion to dismiss the indictment on grounds that the U.S. government’s conduct in bringing the charges against him was “outrageous.”
The lieutenant governor also filed another motion to dismiss by asserting that the indictment is defective as the allegations in the conspiracy charge are time-barred.
The indictment charged Villagomez, former Commerce Secretary James Santos, his wife Joaquina Santos, and former Commonwealth Utilities Corp. executive director Anthony Guerrero, with fire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., and theft concerning federal funds.
Except for Guerrero, all defendants have pleaded not guilty.
