Nearly half of the potential jurors in a class-action lawsuit against Elon Musk were dismissed during selection after admitting they could not remain impartial, with many outright saying that they “hate” him.
The case, playing out in a liberal stronghold, really displays the biases against conservatives within the judicial system.
Jury selection for the trial began this week in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, presided over by Judge Charles R. Breyer.
Mediaite reports:
Breyer, a Clinton appointee and younger brother of former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, began jury selection by commenting to the lawyers for both sides that Musk had achieved a level of fame that was “like the President of the United States,” and even if they “search the entire country,” it would probably be nearly impossible to find someone who did not have some sort of opinion about Musk.
“As a public figure he will excite strong views, and for him in particular, people have strong views,” Breyer added. “The question is, and courts are very clear about this, is whether they can set them aside.”
Finding nine jurors who could put their opinions about Musk aside to be properly fair and impartial took over five hours.
“As a public figure he will excite strong views, and for him in particular, people have strong views,” Breyer said. “The question is, and courts are very clear about this, is whether they can set them aside.”
Out of a pool of 93 prospective jurors, 40 were immediately excused after raising their hands to indicate they could not set aside their personal biases against Musk.
Juror questionnaires also revealed deep-seated animosity.
Hellbound and Down 