Even before the attorneys could question the first 12 jurors, three asked to be excused from the Seng Yang case

402 hearings have been going on all week in Seng Yang's case. Jury selection was supposed to start this morning. Instead, jurors were told to return at 1:30. They were not brought into the courtroom until 2.

There were 73 jurors, every seat in the courtroom was filled and overflow in the jury box before jury selection started.

Judge John Feeney apologized to the jurors. After filling out questionnaires, individual jurors were questioned,then all the jurors were on call until today while 402 hearings and motions were heard.

After the oath was administered ,Judge Feeney introduced Deputy District Attorney Stacey Eads, Deputy Public Defender Luke Brownfield, Yang and two Hmong interpreters.
The interpreters are from out of the area. One is Ms. Lebeka Xiong,; the other Mr. Lee.

Yang clean shaven, was dressed in a charcoal suit, with a vest and bright tie. Contrary to his usual narcissistic and obnoxious court demeanor, he bowed as he was introduced to the jurors.Apparently Yang thinks he is at a tea ceremony or at a dojo.

Judge Feeney then read the 16 counts. Yang's charges include forcible rape of his own daughter, making porn videos with her and selling them.

Judge Feeney went through some preliminary instructions and questions. He questioned jurors about HCSO's Samantha Sintic. She is a potential witness added after the jurors filled out the jury questionnaire.

12 jurors and 3-4 alternates will be selected for the jury trial. Time estimate is 56 days. Jury trial started May 6.

Before attorneys could even begin asking questions, two women were excused because after hearing the charges, they felt they could not be fair and impartial jurors. One man stated financial hardship because the trial had not even started and he had already missed a lot of work.

Mr. Brownfield's questions elicited some frank and very informed answers from the 12 jurors in the box.

Adressing the reaction he saw when the jurors heard the charges, particularly the face of one male juror, Mr. Brownfield said, "I don't know anyone that can listen to that and not think the worst."

One juror said "It was hard, it is apalling. " Another juror said it was "sickening" and one juror said "I had an emotional reaction." All insisted that they would keep an open mind and hear all the evidence. One juror said, "it doesn't mean he did it."

"My job as a defense attorney is to defend Mr. Yang," said Mr. Brownfield. "These are serious allegations. How do I defend Mr. Yang?"

Mr. Brownfield said the juvenile witness in the case is 16 years old and "looks even younger. As a defense attorney, my job is to attack her credibility."

Mr. Brownfield asked if that would be a problem for any of the jurors and if doing his job to defend Yang would cause anyone to hold that against him or his client.

Someone responded about innocent people being convicted which led Mr. Brownfield to ask why they thought this happens. Some jurors responded saying that was due to lies or juror misconduct or juror bias.

Ms. Eads has been quesyioning jurors about the single witness rule and if they have any preconceived noyions or expectayions abouy how a sexual abuse vicyim would behave.

Previous post:
https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2019/05/seng-yang-did-not-deny-having-sex-with.html?m=1
(has a list of charges)