November 11, 1999|By Erin Texeira | Erin Texeira,SUN STAFF
"It got a little out of hand. There were too many people talking at one time and nobody listening to each other," Rozankowski said. "People were very opinionated. You couldn't understand what people were trying to say."
In the end, most trusted Martin more than Guevara because Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Ritter offered little evidence of the Guevara's character or standing in the community. They convicted Martin of misconduct in office and misdemeanor theft, skirting the more serious robbery charge.
"We just thought he was doing a great job all these years and he just snapped," Anair said. "[It was] just a poor decision that was not premeditated. He's going to get a second chance."
Martin will likely get probation when he is sentenced Nov. 30, said his lawyer, Warren A. Brown.
Most jurors acknowledged the process was an education. But some have regrets.
"I think Mr. Guevara was robbed -- that's my honest opinion," Meadows said. "But we couldn't prove it."
Others, who scanned newspaper articles after being released from jury duty, realized that Martin had once pleaded guilty. They also read that he is accused of stealing cash from two other Latino immigrants. It is unclear whether charges will be filed in those cases.
But jurors were not privy to those cases.
"After seeing the papers I see there was a lot we didn't know," said one juror who requested anonymity for fear of retribution from Martin. "I'm disappointed that the evidence was withheld. It was not a fair trial."
During the trial, the juror said he trusted Guevara, but accepted the jury's consensus reluctantly.
Sun staff writer Kurt Streeter contributed to this article.
