# "Eye" didn't see this **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 7, 2013, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554 "2013-02-07T04:25:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/1 "2013-02-07T04:25:11Z")
[Eyeball falls out in court, mistrial declared](http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20130206_Eyeball_falls_out_in_court__mistrial_declared.html) > [@](#): > > Huttick, 48, was on the witness stand Wednesday, weeping as he told the Common Pleas Court jury about the impact of losing an eye when he literally lost his eye. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/2 "2013-02-07T04:35:57Z")
I bet the jury didn’t see that coming. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/3 "2013-02-07T04:37:40Z")
Must’ve been quite a sight to see. Were there many eyewitnesses? ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/4 "2013-02-07T04:39:05Z")
Seeing is believing. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/5 "2013-02-07T04:49:02Z")
Well, if it gets to a jury vote, the eyes will have it. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/6 "2013-02-07T12:56:06Z")
Wood eye? WOOD EYE? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/7 "2013-02-07T13:03:36Z")
It’s sad when a grown man loses his marbles on the witness stand. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/8 "2013-02-07T13:15:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Coleman set a new trial for March 4 and, with judicial understatement, declared it an “unfortunate, unforeseen incident.” Heh. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/9 "2013-02-07T13:21:22Z")
Funny, it’s usually the _jurors_ who are glassy-eyed! ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/10 "2013-02-07T17:21:47Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Wood eye? WOOD EYE? Hare lip! Hare lip! ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/11 "2013-02-07T19:06:32Z")
Mistrial? Seriously? ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/12 "2013-02-07T19:19:57Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > Mistrial? Seriously? Without digging into court documents, I don’t necessarily know the judge’s reasoning, but I imagine it involved the possibility that the rather vivid demonstration of the injury might bias the jury in the defendant’s favor. If something happens in court that “taints” the jury–something emotionally affecting, like this incident, or something like a party showing them inadmissible evidence–the court may declare a mistrial to select a new jury pool that hasn’t been subjected to that source of possible bias. If it’s just one or two jurors who have seen something they shouldn’t have, they’re often replaced by alternates, rather than starting over, but that’s not an option with something that happens in open court. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/13 "2013-02-07T20:15:08Z")
You would think they would do a better job fitting those things. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/14 "2013-02-07T20:41:04Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > If something happens in court that “taints” the jury–something emotionally affecting, like this incident, or something like a party showing them inadmissible evidence–the court may declare a mistrial to select a new jury pool that hasn’t been subjected to that source of possible bias. If it’s just one or two jurors who have seen something they shouldn’t have, they’re often replaced by alternates, rather than starting over, but that’s not an option with something that happens in open court. Yeah, since everyone got to eyeball that… ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/15 "2013-02-07T21:08:26Z")
I’m glad it wasn’t a trial about a penile implant. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/16 "2013-02-07T21:18:13Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Yeah, since everyone got to eyeball that… **Rachel** had a legitimate question, however derisively asked, so in the midst of the humour, I chose to focus on that. The courts are supposed to try to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, so a judge must naturally remain aware of the optics of a trial. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/17 "2013-02-07T21:19:17Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I’m glad it wasn’t a trial about a penile implant. Else, penis would ensue. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/18 "2013-02-08T01:19:27Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > It’s sad when a grown man loses his marbles on the witness stand. That’s what people say. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/19 "2013-02-08T08:35:21Z")
[QUOTE=Balance] **Rachel** had a legitimate question, however derisively asked, so in the midst of the humour, I chose to focus on that. The courts are supposed to try to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, so a judge must naturally remain aware of the optics of a trial. [/QUOTE] Sight? ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554/20 "2013-02-08T20:53:39Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > Without digging into court documents, I don’t necessarily know the judge’s reasoning, but I imagine it involved the possibility that the rather vivid demonstration of the injury might bias the jury in the defendant’s favor. > > If something happens in court that “taints” the jury–something emotionally affecting, like this incident, or something like a party showing them inadmissible evidence–the court may declare a mistrial to select a new jury pool that hasn’t been subjected to that source of possible bias. If it’s just one or two jurors who have seen something they shouldn’t have, they’re often replaced by alternates, rather than starting over, but that’s not an option with something that happens in open court. What if it falls out again in the next trial? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-didnt-see-this/649554.md?page=2)