Lawyers in Griego case trim jury pool
Trial on corruption charges to start Oct. 31
ALBUQUERQUE — A week before former state Sen. Phil Griego is scheduled to stand trial on corruption charges, lawyers and the judge in the case on Tuesday eliminated nearly half of the potential jurors. A leading reason for the dismissals: expressions of harsh feelings toward politicians.
Prosecutors from the state Attorney General’s Office and Griego’s lawyer, Tom Clark of Santa Fe, agreed to excuse dozens of members of the jury pool for reasons that also included health issues, out-of-state travel plans and complications with work or family duties. When the prosecution and defense couldn’t agree on a potential juror, State District Judge Brett Loveless made the decision. Clark said that by his “rough count” 82 potential jurors were eliminated, leaving 87 still available when a final selection is made Monday.
Though many have speculated that the two sides might reach a plea deal before Griego’s case goes to trial, there was no sign of that at Tuesday’s hearing. Court documents show negotiations for a plea fell apart early this year.
Nearly all of the potential jurors who Loveless dismissed were those that Clark wanted to excused because of negative attitudes toward politicians in general or Griego in particular that emerged in responses to questionnaires.
“There certainly was an anti-politician thread running through these questionnaires,” Clark said after the hearing.
The survey contained several questions aimed at bringing out potential prejudice against Griego, 69, of San Jose, a Democrat who represented a mostly rural district east of Santa Fe. He is charged with eight criminal counts, including bribery, fraud and perjury. Because of the high-profile nature of the case, the court summoned a larger than usual
jury pool. The case has been in the headlines as it dragged through the legal system for well over a year.
Among the potential jurors discussed at the hearing was a woman who wrote about her “wariness of political corruption.”
Another potential juror cited “bad behavior” of New Mexico politicians. Asked about her thoughts on politicians, one woman wrote, “there are a lot of crooked ones,” while another said politicians in this state use their offices for personal gain.
One man in the original jury pool said politicians are “self-serving.” One potential juror declared that “most politicians are corrupt.” Another said simply, “I do not like politicians.”
Some of the answers that led to dismissals were aimed directly at the defendant. One would-be juror who was eliminated called Griego “ethically challenged” and said he is “likely guilty.” A woman who was dismissed wrote that she had a “gut feeling” that Griego is guilty.
Some questionnaire responses showed potential jurors view the entire system as corrupt. One said trials such as Griego’s are only for show and that politicians accused of wrongdoing usually end up getting “a slap on the wrist.”
Griego’s case is centered on his role in brokering the sale of a state-owned building near the Capitol to an upscale bed and breakfast business, the Inn of the Five Graces on De Vargas Street, in 2014. The owners of the inn paid him a $50,000 commission. Griego resigned from the Senate in 2015 in the wake of an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee.
The trial is set to begin Oct. 31 in Santa Fe.