Juror recognizes defendant's name on sample ballot in DA race
A juror in Clark County, Nevada, told a judge on Monday that she noticed the defendant’s name on her sample election ballot.
The defendant, Raymond James “Jim” Duensing, hopes to unseat the DA whose office is prosecuting him on charges of resisting a police officer, carrying a concealed weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm stemming from a 2009 traffic stop. Duensing, a Pahrump lawyer, was shot by police three times during the confrontation. Police said they fired after Duensing reached for his gun, Duensing denies doing so.
The juror told Judge Michelle Leavitt that she didn’t notice Duensing’s political affiliation and that she could make a fair decision in the case, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Early voting has already begun in Nevada, and defense lawyers wanted Leavitt to poll the jurors about whether they recognized Duensing’s name.
Leavitt declined, however, noting that she asked jurors before the trial began whether they knew anyone associated with the case, the story says. Opening statements were Thursday.
Duensing, the Libertarian candidate, has spent $100 on the DA’s race, according to the Review-Journal. He has pledged to stop prosecuting traffic tickets and other nonviolent crimes if elected.
