State Supreme Court Justice Mark J. Grisanti barred the public from jury selection in a high-profile civil trial for “the protections of jurors,” according to an order issued Wednesday.
State Supreme Court Justice Mark J. Grisanti barred the public from jury selection in a high-profile civil trial for “the protections of jurors,” according to an order issued Wednesday.
Grisanti took the unusual step of blocking two Buffalo News journalists from observing jury selection on Monday and Tuesday in the case involving the 2012 death of Erie County Holding Center inmate Richard Metcalf Jr., a move that one legal expert said was rare and did not appear to follow accepted courtroom practices.
Jury selection, as with all court proceedings, generally is open to the public.