By Monica Velez
Opening statements and testimony of a couple witnesses were scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on March 15, 2016, in the People’s case against Eric Lovett. Due to a medical emergency regarding Deputy District Attorney Robin Johnson, Judge David Maguire postponed the trial one day.
Deputy Public Defender Martha Sequeira was not pleased with the motion to trail the case a day, arguing that many other district attorneys would be able to take on the case because they are familiar with the facts. An option Ms. Sequeira suggested was Deputy District Attorney Ryan Couzens, who had sat in on many of the motions and hearings prior to the trial commencing.
Ms. Sequeira also brought up the fact that this was the tenth day the jurors have been awaiting the trial, stating they would most likely be irritated and upset to have to prolong the start of the trial another day. Judge Maguire agreed with Sequeira on this particular issue.
The judge said he would hope that the jury would not hold this issue against the defendant, like Ms. Sequeira mentioned, but he knew they would be upset regardless.
“They’re (the jury) going to be upset, they should be upset,” said Judge Maguire.
Ms. Johnson had just arrived from the airport on the morning of March 15 – the reason court was postponed to start at 10:00 a.m. rather than the usual 9:00 a.m. start time. As a result from flying, she was not able to hear in one of her ears.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Melinda Aiello stepped in to discuss the motion of postponing the trial another day, arguing that, although there were completely capable attorneys who could step in for Ms. Robinson, her medical emergency deserved at least one day to be resolved.
Ms. Johnson had been in contact with her doctor and was going in to see him later that day.
Although Judge Maguire agreed with this motion being a mistreatment of the jury, he decided to give Ms. Johnson another day. The judge was apologetic to the jury, and also frustrated with the circumstances because he said his main priority is the jury and their time.
