The attempt of convicted double-murderer Ronell Wilson to disqualify two jurors from sitting on the death penalty phase of his trial because they were predisposed toward a death sentence has been rejected by Eastern District Judge Nicholas Garaufis.
Garaufis (See Profile), citing the "unusual" posture of the case, rejected Wilson’s claim that two potential jurors should not be allowed to consider the death penalty for Wilson’s 2003 murder of two undercover detectives on Staten Island. Wilson had argued that the jurors should be disqualified because of statements they made on the weight they would give to mitigating evidence and aggravating factors and their inclination toward imposing capital punishment.
