On Monday, lawyers for Jeffrey Skilling argued that the jury in the former Enron CEO’s trial was affected by “passion and prejudice.” The attorneys claimed that the trial should have been moved away from Houston, Enron’s hometown, because the jury pool there was tainted. The Wall Street Journal reports that several justices questioned the jury selection process.
Skilling’s attorneys also argued that the “honest service” fraud law that is the basis for their client’s conviction is unconstitutionally vague. The Wall Street Journal reports that under this law, it is a crime to to deprive another of “the intangible right of honest services.” The Supreme Court also expressed concern over the breadth of this law in the Conrad Black case.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule in June.
