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To each his own jury in the Kristin Smart murder trial

May 14, 2022

Kristin Smart

By KAREN VELIE

There is one trial with two juries planned in the June 6 tribunal of accused murderer Paul Flores and his alleged accomplice Ruben Flores. Paul Flores is charged with murdering Kristin Smart in San Luis Obispo during an attempted rape in 1996, and his father is accused of helping dispose of her body.

Each defendant will have his own jury, which will listen to most of the trial simultaneously. The two juries will rotate between the jury box and the gallery in a trial expected to last between three and five months.

According to the “Aranda Bruton Rule,” a defendant’s 6th Amendment right to confront and cross-examine witnesses can be violated when a recorded statement made by a co-defendant appears to implicate the defendant if admitted in their joint trial. The judge can decide to either have two trials or seat two juries, and have one jury outside the courtroom while the recorded statement is played and discussed.

Deputy arresting Paul Flores

Deputies arrested Paul Flores and his father Ruben Flores in April 2021 for their involvement in the alleged murder of Smart.

If convicted, Ruben Flores faces a maximum of three years in prison and his son Paul Flores faces up to life in prison.


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Most jurors anywhere are usually public gov employees or work at very large employers/business owners….Not many other types of employees can afford to serve on a jury ….This trial unfortunately only has minimal evidence to obtain a conviction …Even if a jury convicts based on their emotions …the conviction will be overturned on a appeal for lack of evidence


-12

Unfortunately , it sounds like more wasted Tax Payer monies

Hopefully they nail these losers in Monterey …

Such a Pity that the Smart family and general public has not had closure in this botched case.

Unfortunately Cal Poly and Local Law Enforcement and their related collusion never took this case serious from the Get Go !! Hopefully its for Real now and not another Publicity Stunt.

I hope Attorney Murphy sues the pants off of Cal Poly / Flores family with their elitist attitudes that this was just another C student who liked parties and boys…

Paul Flores is a sick Bastard who deserves the death Penalty and his old man deserves to be penniless!!

Hopefully Justice gets served once and for all…


17

When this last round of activity started, I thought, this is because there is an election coming up, and Dow needs to show some action on this case for the campaign in the event he has opposition. I hoped I was wrong.


Now that it is apparent he is unopposed, it’s too late to change his mind. If this gets screwed up just to win an election, I would consider it worse than doing nothing which is the normal condition of the DA when there is no upcoming election. I still hope I’m wrong.


-2

What happens if Paul Flores is found Not Guilty, but his Father is found Guilty? This could lead to big problems.


8

I’ve never heard of that before. Very weird.


5

Sounds like a procedural/logistical headache for the trial judge & courthouse staff and seems like the complications of such an arrangement could increase opportunities for the defense attorneys to claim a mistrial.


11