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Judge Denies Juror's Request To Be Removed From Bell Trial

BELL (CBSLA.com) — A female juror in the trial of five former Bell City Council members accused of misappropriating funds was refused a request Tuesday to be removed from the panel on the second day of deliberations.

KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou reports the juror ultimately returned to deliberations as members of the panel turned their focus to trial testimony and state law.

Female Juror Backs Off Request To Be Removed From Bell Trial

After telling Judge Kathleen Kennedy the other jurors were "tired of her comments", Kennedy told the woman the case was important and asked if she would go back and talk with other members on the panel.

The woman eventually agreed to stay on as a juror.

Jurors then requested read-backs of testimony from former City Administrator Lourdes Garcia, as well as sections of the Bell City Charter and portions of the California Constitution regarding compensation for municipal officers.

Legal Analyst Royal Oakes said those requests could hint at possible guilty verdicts for defendants Teresa Jacobo, George Mirabal, Luis Artiga, George Cole and Victor Bello.

"If all they cared about in this case was, well, [former City Manager] Robert Rizzo ordered them to do this or he knew about things and they were in the dark, then they wouldn't be asking for all the documents," Oakes said.

RELATED: Jury Deliberations Begin In City Of Bell Corruption Case

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