Kleefisch struck from homicide jury
Oconomowoc woman on trial in husband’s slaying
WAUKESHA - Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch was struck as a potential juror Tuesday in the homicide trial of fellow Oconomowoc resident Amy Van Wagner.
Kleefisch wasn’t questioned until late Tuesday morning, after moving into the pool of 30 after several others had been excused.
Amy Van Wagner is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse, both as a party to the crime, in the May 2015 death of her husband, Stanley Van Wagner.
Van Wagner’s attorney, John Schiro, questioned Kleefisch about discussion she and some other potential jurors had that morning in the jury assembly room. Kleefisch, a former TV reporter, said people naturally were curious when they arrived at the courthouse and noticed TV news trucks outside.
But while Kleefisch said she has read extensively about the Van Wagner case, including a story on her phone Tuesday morning, she had no idea until she was brought into the courtroom what trial she might be called to hear.
Schiro quoted from answers Kleefisch wrote in an earlier questionnaire that he said might give the impression she did not think she could be fair because she had “strong opinions about those who would flout the law.” But she would not answer his specific questions Tuesday about whether she felt she should not serve.
“That’s not up to me,” she said. Earlier, she had said, “I understand the duty of a juror, indeed.”
Schiro asked that she be struck for such reasons. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Ralph Ramirez said he disagreed, but did conclude that it could give an impression of partiality that Kleefisch has made political donations to the campaign of District Attorney Sue Opper, who is trying the case with two assistants.
Like other potential jurors, Kleefisch answered questions about guns. She said her family has firearms stored safely in the basement, kitchen, bedroom and garage.
The jury selection process slowed dramatically after several potential jurors indicated they had seen the Van Wagner case on TV in the jury assembly room that morning. Schiro found a FOX6 report online that he said would be very prejudicial to his client. Individual questioning of all 30 potential jurors revealed about half a dozen saw a report on another station.
One man said he had no idea about the case before he saw it, and was surprised and it had left his head “spinning.” He was excused. Others who saw the report said it was brief and would not affect their view of the case.
The judge denied Schiro’s requests to strike others who said they had seen his client wearing an orange jail jumpsuit in the TV report.
Van Wagner, who has been jailed on $100,000 bail since her arrest in February 2016, wore street clothes in court Tuesday.
In all, about a dozen people were excused for health issues, admitted bias, connections to law enforcement or work conflicts. A jury of nine women and five men was selected by late afternoon. Testimony in the three-week trial is scheduled to begin Wednesday.