In a joint statement sent to the media as soon as Carroccia announced she was discharging the jury, Alex Formenton’s lawyers, Daniel Brown and Hilary Dudding, wrote that “a juror came to somehow believe that our courtroom demeanour was disrespectful of her.”
“This was an unfortunate misinterpretation. No defence counsel would risk alienating a juror, and nothing could be further from the truth in this instance. While it is true that co-counsel will speak with one another from time to time during a trial, this is commonplace. The very idea of counsel making light of a juror is illogical and runs directly counter to our purpose and function.” [tsn]
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