Prosecuting and defense attorneys have narrowed the pool of potential jurors to 43 and on Thursday morning will chose the 14 who will hear the racketeering case against Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill when the testimony part of the trial begins later in the day.
During the questioning of prospective jurors to weed out those already with opinions, the opposing attorneys used their inquiries to bond with the people who could sit in judgment of Hill and to begin laying a foundation for their respective cases. They used self-effacing humor and good-humor teasing during the day-long process that focused only on the fourth pool of 14 to be called.
“We’ve questioned you to death today,” special assistant district attorney Layla Zon said just as she asked one of the prospective jurors about any media reports he had heard about Hill’s first tenure as sheriff or about the 28 felony charges pending against him.
And they used the questions to plant seeds in their minds.
Defense attorneys addressed their client as “Sheriff Hill” while Zon called him “Mr. Hill.”
The defense gave a glimpse of their case with their questions. Had anyone had any long-term health problems or a bad experience with law enforcement. Anyone been to a casino, been followed or falsely accused?
Hill, a former state representative and homicide detective, is charged with racketeering, theft by taking, violating his oath of office and influencing a witness, all from the first time he was Clayton County sheriff, Jan. 1, 2005 through Dec. 31, 2008. Some of the theft charges are that Hill used his county cars and credit cards for vacations, including to casinos in Mississippi or gambling boats that leave from the coast of South Carolina. He also is accused to theft of taxpayer money because he had a subordinate counted as being on administrative paid leave or out because of illness so she could get her salary while traveling with the sheriff.
Hill, 48, has said he is not guilty. He has argued that former Sheriff Kem Kimbrough started the investigation, and had Hill followed, because Hill had announced he was running for sheriff in 2012.
“Do you think there is a time when law enforcement can be too snoopy,” defense attorney Drew Findling asked one prospective juror.
Findling also addressed the issue of an employee traveling with Hill when she was on sick leave. “Have you been able to go on and do things in your personal life, socialize… go on vacation… go to clubs?” Findling asked a juror with a chronic health problem.
Of course, he answered.
Attorneys for both sides wanted to know what prospective jurors had heard about the sheriff. A few said they had heard nothing.
But one of them had heard a good bit, all before they got their summons with instructions to stay away from news stories or discussions of Hill.
“Some say he cleaned up Clayton County with the crime and some say he’s not good and he ought to be convicted,” one juror said.
Did she participate in those conversations, Findling asked.
“I don’t mean to be rude,” she answered, “but I didn’t care. My thing is if he’s guilty, he’s guilty (and) if he’s innocent, he’s innocent.”
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