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September 11, 2006

Journal asks court to open Derderian jury process

WARWICK -- The Providence Journal today asked the Superior Court to let the public see written questions and the answers given by potential jurors in The Station nightclub fire trial.

The Journal also asked the court to allow the public to be present as lawyers and the judge determine which jurors to dismiss based on those answers.

Last week, 421 prospective jurors reported to the Kent County Courthouse to fill out questionnaires that will be used to narrow the jury pool in the trial of Michael A. Derderian.

The nightclub co-owner is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of 100 people who were in the nightclub when it caught fire on Feb. 20, 2003. The forms try to find out whether jurors might have a bias in the case.

After the lawyers for each side and Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. review the forms, some of those prospective jurors will be called back to the courthouse the week of Sept. 20 to be questioned in person.

-- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker

Posted by Steve Peoples  at 6:23 PM | Permalink

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