Nxivm Doc 491: Juror Questionnaire
Nxivm Doc 491: Juror Questionnaire
Nxivm Doc 491: Juror Questionnaire
April 2, 2019
By ECF
The parties also jointly request that the Court issue an order preventing public
release of prospective jurors and empaneled jurors’ names until after trial and requiring that
jurors be identified only by juror number in open court. See United v. Shkreli, 15-CR-637
Case 1:18-cr-00204-NGG-VMS Document 491 Filed 04/02/19 Page 2 of 2 PageID #: 5129
(KAM), Memorandum and Order, dated June 25, 2017, (Dkt. No. 259), at 16. The parties
may also request additional precautions be taken to protect jurors’ identities until after trial.
Respectfully submitted,
RICHARD P. DONOGHUE
United States Attorney
By: /s/
Moira Kim Penza
Tanya Hajjar
Mark J. Lesko
Assistant U.S. Attorneys
(718) 254-7000
2
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KEITH RANIERE,
also known as “Vanguard,”
“Grandmaster,” and
“Master,”
CLARE BRONFMAN,
ALLISON MACK,
KATHY RUSSELL and
LAUREN SALZMAN,
Defendants.
-----------------------------------------------------X
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Name: ______________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
DECLARATION
I solemnly state that my answers to the questions set forth in the attached questionnaire
are, to the very best of my ability, true and correct.
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JUROR QUESTIONNAIRE
PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTIONS
Upon your oath or affirmation, you must give true and complete answers to all questions.
These questions are not meant to ask unnecessarily about personal matters. Rather, these questions
will help the Court determine whether you can be fair and impartial in deciding this case and will
also provide information about you as a juror to help the parties select a jury. Remember there are
no “right” or “wrong” answers; there are only truthful answers. Part of the selection process
depends on your ability and promise to follow the law as it is explained by the Court. Thus, some
of the questions include descriptions of legal principles and ask whether you can conscientiously
follow them.
BE YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL ANSWERS. Further, the Court instructs you not to discuss
anything about the case with anyone: not the defendant, the lawyers, your fellow jurors, your
family, your friends, or anyone else. Please try to write as legibly as possible. It is very important
Please place an asterisk (*) next to any answers where—to the extent the Court or parties
have any follow-up questions—you would want to have the additional discussion in private.
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You are being considered to serve as a juror in a criminal case. Jury selection is scheduled
to begin on approximately April 15, 2019, and trial is expected to begin shortly thereafter. Trial
is expected to take approximately eight-to-ten weeks once a jury is selected. The defendants are
charged in an indictment with criminal offenses. An indictment listing the criminal charges against
a defendant is simply the document used to advise a defendant of the accusations against him. The
The law presumes that all of the defendants are innocent. The defendants have pleaded not
guilty to all charges in the indictment. It is the government that has the burden of proof under our
system of law. The prosecution must come forward with proof beyond a reasonable doubt that a
defendant has committed crimes before a defendant can be found guilty. The defendants have no
obligation to produce any evidence or do anything else at trial. This is because the law presumes
The following is a summary of the charges in this case. The Indictment in this case charges
that the defendants are members of a criminal organization known as the “Enterprise” and that
they committed a variety of crimes as part of that criminal enterprise, including racketeering and
racketeering conspiracy involving acts of—among other things—identity theft, wire fraud,
obstruction of justice, visa fraud, forced labor, sex trafficking, extortion, money laundering, child
exploitation and possession of child pornography. Certain defendants are also charged with
additional crimes including sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, attempted sex trafficking,
Remember that under the law an indictment is not evidence, it is merely an accusation, and
that a defendant is presumed to be innocent of the charges described in an indictment unless and
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until the government establishes a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If you are selected
as a juror in this case, it will be your duty to determine whether, based solely on the evidence
presented at trial, the government has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty
As noted, the purpose of this questionnaire is to assist the Court and the parties in
selecting a jury of individuals that can be fair and impartial. Because this case has generated
media attention, the Court and the parties are taking steps to maintain the privacy of jurors
and potential jurors. [The Court has issued an order concealing the names of jurors from
anyone other than the parties until after trial in this case.] It is important to ensure that the
jury will in no way be influenced by the public, by the members of the media and their
articles and reports. The Court is taking these measures to protect your right to privacy and
to assist you in discharging your responsibility as a juror fairly and impartially. You will be
PART I: HARDSHIP
(Questions 1 through 3)
Jury selection will begin on April 15, 2019, and the trial is expected to begin on April 29,
2019. We anticipate the trial should last approximately eight-to-ten weeks. Trial will be in session,
generally speaking, Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The trial will recess
for national and major religious holidays. Jurors will receive a printed schedule of trial dates upon
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If you are selected as a juror, you will be required to be present for the taking of testimony
for as long as the case lasts. There are no plans to sequester the jury, meaning you will go home
The Court views service on a jury in a federal criminal trial to be one of the highest duties
a citizen owes to the United States. Mere inconvenience or the usual financial hardships of jury
1. Do you have an unusual financial hardship or other serious problem that would prevent
you from serving as a juror in this case?
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
If yes, are there any arrangements that you can make to alleviate the hardship:
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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2. Do you have any physical or medical condition (such as hearing, eyesight, or back
problems), or any emotional problem, that would make it unusually difficult for you to serve
as a juror in this case?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Do you take any medications or have any condition that may interfere with your ability to
concentrate?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Part II asks questions about you, your background and very general questions about your
family.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. If you speak any other languages, please list and describe level of fluency: ___________
________________________________________________________________________
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9. Are you:
Married _______
Living with a Partner _______
Single _______
Divorced/Separated _______
Widow/Widower _______
10. Do you:
Other than spouse or partner, who lives with you? (Do not mention their names; rather,
indicate what their relationship is with you, e.g., “roommate” or “parent.”)
_________________________________________________________________
11. If you live in Brooklyn, Queens or Staten Island, in what area or neighborhood do you live
(e.g., Canarsie, Jackson Heights, Stapleton)?
________________________________________________________________________
12. If you live in Nassau or Suffolk County, in what community do you live?
________________________________________________________________________
13. What other areas or neighborhoods have you lived in over the past 10 years?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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(a) Where do you work and what type of work do you do?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(b) How long have your worked in your present job? ____________________
(a) What is the name of your business and what type of business is it?
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__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
17. If you are retired or unemployed, what type of work did you last do?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
18. What is your annual income level? If you are married and your spouse/partner is employed,
please include his/her income:
If you earned a degree after high school, what was your major area(s) of study?
________________________________________________________________________
20. If you are married or have a partner, please answer the following questions about your
spouse/ partner’s employment:
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(b) If your spouse/partner is retired or not employed, please indicate this and also
describe the type of work he or she did during his/her last period of employment:
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
23. Have you or any member of your family or close friends worked for or applied for a
position in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Department of Homeland
Security, the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the
New York State Police, New York City Police Department, or any other federal, state or
local law enforcement agency?
If yes, please state who (relation to you), what agency, when and for how long when, and
position or involvement?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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24. Have you or any member of your family or close friends worked or applied for a position
with any jail, detention center, probation services, a city or county attorney’s office,
Attorney General, or a court?
If yes, please state who (relation to you), what agency, when and for how long when, and
position or involvement?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
25. Have you ever worked in the following fields or have you ever had any training or taken
any courses, special training or seminars in any of the following (check all that apply):
____Law
____Criminal Justice
____Criminology
____Psychology
____Psychiatry
____Social Work
____Mental Health
____Philosophy
____Religion
____Computer programming
____Tax
____________________________________________________________
If someone close to you has experience in any of the above, please explain:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(b) Do you have any regularly use any social networking sites such as Twitter,
Facebook or Instagram?
If yes, please list which ones and any handles, screennames or other identifiers
and describe your level of use:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________
(d) Do you ever post comments on any Internet forums or other websites?
If yes, please describe the frequency, and what you usually comment on:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
(d) What were the last three books that you read?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
30. (a) List any hobbies and special interests that you have:
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
(b) Do you belong or have you belonged to any civic, social, union, professional,
fraternal, political, recreation, or religious organizations, including any groups
taking a position on social or legal issues?
If yes, please describe your experience and whether you’ve held an office:
_______________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
31. (a) Other than friends and relatives, who are the three people living or dead that you
admire most, and why?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
(b) Other than friends and relatives, please list the three people you least admire, and
why?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
32. Have you or anyone close to you ever participated in any self-help programs or read any
self-help books?
If yes, please state which program(s)/book(s) and describe your (or the other person’s)
experience?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
If yes as to you, what did you hope to get out of the experience?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
33. Have you or anyone close to you ever taken any Scientology courses?
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_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
34. Have you or anyone close to you ever participated in a Landmark Forum, EST or anything
you view as similar?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
35. There may be evidence in this case about people engaging in relationships with multiple
sexual partners. Would hearing about that type of evidence affect your ability to serve as
a fair and impartial juror in this case?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
36. There may be evidence in this case about abortions. Would hearing about that type of
evidence affect your ability to serve as a fair and impartial juror in this case?
_______________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________
37. There may be evidence in this case that includes sexually explicit images and language.
Would hearing about that type of evidence affect your ability to serve as a fair and impartial
juror in this case?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
38. There may be evidence in this case about fraternities, sororities, secret societies, rituals, or
cults. Would hearing about that type of evidence affect your ability to serve as a fair and
impartial juror in this case?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
39. There may be evidence in this case about people who were in the United States illegally.
Do you have any opinions regarding illegal immigration that would affect your ability to
serve as a fair and impartial juror in this case?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
40. There may be evidence in this case about rich individuals. Do you have any opinions
regarding rich individuals that would affect your ability to serve as a fair and impartial
juror in this case?
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_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
41. There may be evidence in this case about people who did not pay taxes. Do you have any
opinions regarding people who do not pay taxes that would affect your ability to serve as
a fair and impartial juror in this case?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
42. There may be evidence in this case about skin modifications (such as tattoos and branding).
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
(b) Would hearing about evidence of body modifications affect your ability to serve as a
fair and impartial juror in this case?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
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(c) Is there anything about your prior jury service that would impact your ability to be
a fair and impartial juror in this case?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
44. Are you now, or have you ever been, a registered sex offender or ordered by a court to
register as a sex offender?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
45. Have you or has anyone close to you ever sought treatment (court-ordered or otherwise)
for sex addiction or sexual deviance?
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_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Part III asks questions about experiences you may have had and opinions you may have
formed. Again, there are no right or wrong answers. Please be as thoughtful and candid as
possible.
47. Have you or anyone close to you ever been the victim of incest, child molestation, or child
abuse?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
48. Have you or anyone close to you ever been the victim of sexual assault, including date
rape?
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_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
49. If you answered yes to question 47 or 48, do you believe that would affect your ability to
serve as a fair and impartial juror?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
50. Have you ever known anyone who you believe was falsely accused of sexual abuse or
sexual assault of a minor or an adult?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
51. Do you worry about you or someone close to you being falsely accused of sexual abuse or
sexual assault?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
52. If you answered yes to question 50 or 51, do you believe that would affect your ability to
serve as a fair and impartial juror?
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_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
53. Do you believe that people under seventeen should be able to consent to sex with adults?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
55. (a) Have you or has a family member or close friend ever been a witness to or the
victim of a crime?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(b) Did you or your family member or close friend report that crime to the police or
other law enforcement agency?
If yes, how do you feel about the way law enforcement responded?
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__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
If no, why didn’t you (or the person close to you) report?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
56. Do you have any opinions or beliefs concerning law enforcement in general – including
the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, the New York City Police Department, the
Department of Homeland Security, New York State Police and the Department of Justice
– that would make it difficult for you to evaluate the evidence fairly and impartially in
accordance with the Court’s instructions?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
57. Have you ever appeared or testified as a witness in any investigation or legal proceeding?
_____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
58. (a) Have you ever been involved, or do you expect to become involved, in any legal
action or dispute with a government agency or have you had any financial interest
in such a dispute?
__________________________________________________________________
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(b) If you answered “yes” to 58(a), above, is there anything about these facts that would
make it difficult for you to sit as a fair and impartial juror in this case?
__________________________________________________________________
59. (a) Are you or is anyone close to you, including family or friends, now under
subpoena or about to be subpoenaed in any criminal case?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
(b) Have you or anyone close to you ever been questioned or subpoenaed in any
matter by the New York City Police, any state or local law enforcement agency,
the Department of Justice or any United States investigative agency such as the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the
Internal Revenue Service or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
(c) If you answered yes to 59(b), above, do you believe that you (or they) were fairly
treated in connection with such matter?
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__________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
60. (a) Have you or has a family member or close friend ever been involved in or been
the target of a criminal investigation?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(b) Have you or has a family member or close friend ever been charged with a crime?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(c) If you answered “yes” to (a) or (b) above, was the individual who was investigated
or charged treated fairly by the criminal justice system?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(d) Do you have or have you ever had a close friend or family member in prison?
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__________________________________________________________________
(e) If you answered yes to (a), (b) or (d), above, is there anything about these facts
that would make it difficult for you to sit as a fair and impartial juror in this case?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
61. The Judge presiding over this case is the Honorable Nicholas G. Garaufis. Do you or does
any relative or friend know or have any connection with Judge Garaufis?
________________________________________________________________________
62. This case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern
District of New York. The United States Attorney for this District is Richard P. Donoghue.
Do you or does any relative or friend personally know or have any connection with Richard
P. Donoghue or anyone associated with his office?
________________________________________________________________________
63. Do you or does any relative or close friend know or have any connection with any of the
following prosecutors, case agents and/or their assistants, or their relatives or friends?
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(x) Charles Fontanelli, Task Force Officer, FBI/New York State Police
(xi) Megan Buckley, Special Agent, Homeland Security Investigations
(xii) Christopher Munster, Special Agent, Homeland Security Investigations
(xiii) Richard Guerci, Investigator, U.S. Attorney’s Office
(xiv) Kathleen Fiato, Special Agent, IRS
(xv) Patrick Griffee, Special Agent, IRS
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
64. (a) Do you or does any relative or close friend know or have any connection to the
defendants, Keith Raniere, Clare Bronfman, Allison Mack or Kathy Russell, or, to
your knowledge, their relatives or friends?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(b) Have you seen, heard or read anything about this case?
If yes, what have you seen, heard or read, and in what source(s)?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
If yes, what is your opinion on what you have seen, heard or read?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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If yes, would you be able to follow an instruction to set aside anything you have
seen, heard or read?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
65. Have you or has anyone you know participated in any of the following courses or groups:
Nxivm, Executive Success Programs, Jness, Society of Protectors, Ultima, Exo Eso, The
Knife, The Source?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
66. (a) Do you or does any relative or close friend know or have any connection
with any of the following defense attorneys and their assistants or their relatives or
friends?
__________________________________________________________________
(b) Have you seen, heard or read any publicity about any of these defense attorneys?
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__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
67. This case is likely to receive ongoing media attention. The Court wants to make sure that
this case is decided solely on the evidence presented in the courtroom and not based on
influences outside the courtroom. The Court will be advising you daily that you must avoid
reading about the Case on the Internet, in newspapers or listening to any radio or television
reports about the case. The Court will further advise you not to discuss the case with family
or friends during the trial or with your fellow jurors until it is time to deliberate. Would
these restrictions pose any difficulty for you?
________________________________________________________________________
68. The charges in this case involve allegations of, among other things, sex trafficking, forced
labor, child pornography and child exploitation. Is there anything about the nature of these
allegations that would make it difficult for you to be fair and impartial?
________________________________________________________________________
69. Do you have any bias, sympathy, or prejudice with reference to the United States
government that would make it difficult for you to render a fair and impartial judgment
based solely on the evidence presented at trial?
________________________________________________________________________
70. (a) Do you have any religious, philosophical, moral or other belief that might
make you unable to render a “guilty” verdict?
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__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(b) Do you have any religious, philosophical, moral or other belief that might make
you unable to render a “not guilty” verdict?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
71. You may hear testimony from or about the people listed on Attachment A during the trial.
Please turn to Attachment A at the end of this packet and circle the names of any person
that you know or have any connection with.
Part IV explains some of the fundamental legal principles on which the Court will give
instructions during the trial. If you believe you cannot follow these principles, you are duty
bound to let the Court know now.
72. (a) Every defendant is presumed innocent and cannot be convicted unless the jury,
unanimously and based solely on the evidence in the case, decides that his guilt
has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The burden of proving guilt rests
entirely with the government. It never shifts to the defendant at any time. The
defendant has no burden of proof at all.
__________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________
(c) Under the law, a defendant need not testify. If a defendant does not testify, the jury
may not consider that fact in any way in reaching a decision as to whether a
defendant is guilty or not guilty. Would you have any difficulty following this rule
of law?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
73. An indictment itself is not evidence. It merely describes the charges made against the
defendants. It is an accusation. It may not be considered by you as any evidence of the
defendants’ guilt. Are you able to follow this rule of law?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
74. Under the law, you must consider each defendant and each alleged crime separately. You
must find a defendant not guilty of the alleged crime you are considering, unless the
evidence that has been presented in court proves him or her guilty of that crime beyond a
reasonable doubt.
________________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________
75. Should a defendant decide to testify, that does not shift the burden of proof to the defendant
or diminish the obligation of the government to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a
reasonable doubt. The government always carries this burden of proof in a criminal trial.
Will you have any difficulty following this rule of law?
________________________________________________________________________
(a) Do you hold any beliefs or opinions that would prevent you from evaluating the
testimony of a law enforcement officer fairly and impartially?
__________________________________________________________________
(b) A law enforcement witness’s testimony is not to be given any more or less credence
than any other witness’s testimony. Would you be able to follow the Court’s
instructions in this regard?
__________________________________________________________________
77. You may hear that law enforcement officers conducted surveillance and searched
individuals and residences, during the investigation of this case. These investigative
techniques are lawful. Do you have any feelings about the use of these techniques that
might affect your ability to consider such evidence fairly?
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78. You may hear testimony from certain individuals that the government alleges are victims.
A victim’s testimony is not to be given any more or less credence than any other witness’s
testimony, just because that person is an alleged victim. Do you have any opinions or
beliefs about alleged victims that would make it difficult for you to be fair and impartial in
considering their testimony?
__________________________________________________________________
79. Some government witnesses may testify that they participated in serious crimes themselves
including forced labor and identity theft. These witnesses, who may be referred to during
trial as “cooperating witnesses,” may have pleaded guilty to crimes and may be testifying
pursuant to agreements with the government in hopes that their own sentences will be
reduced. Do you have any opinions or beliefs about cooperating witnesses who are seeking
a reduced sentence that would make it difficult for you to be fair and impartial in
considering their testimony?
__________________________________________________________________
80. Under the law, the facts are for the jury to determine and the law is for the Judge to
determine. You are required to accept the law as the Judge explains it to you even if you do
not like the law or disagree with it, and you must determine the facts according to those
instructions.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
81. Under the law, the question of punishment, if any, should not enter your deliberations.
Would you have any difficulty following this rule?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
82. Under the law, emotions such as sympathy, bias and prejudice must not enter into the
deliberations of the jurors as to whether the guilt of the defendant has been proven
beyond a reasonable doubt. Would you have any difficulty following this rule?
________________________________________________________________________
83. Is there anything about the nature of the charges in this case or the people accused
that would affect your ability to fairly evaluate the evidence to determine whether or
not the prosecution has proven the guilt of the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt?
________________________________________________________________________
84. Is there any reason you could not be completely fair to the defendants in this case?
________________________________________________________________________
85. Is there any reason you could not be completely fair in evaluating the U.S.
government’s case?
________________________________________________________________________
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87. Is there any matter not covered by this questionnaire that you think is important to
bring to the attention of the Court?
________________________________________________________________________
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ATTACHMENT A:
Names of People Who Might Testify or Who May Be Discussed During Trial
Please circle the name of any person listed below that you
know or have any connection with.
[FILL IN LATER]
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