George Zimmerman attorney: 'Stealth Juror' could have been 'devastating'

Mark O'Mara speaks out about previously dismissed potential juror's trespassing

SANFORD, Fla. – Defense attorneys for George Zimmerman say the previously dismissed potential juror who was escorted from the courthouse after attempting to go into the jury assembly quarter could have cost the court system lots of money and a week of time.

Attorney Mark O'Mara spoke after Friday's jury selection proceedings, calling "stealth juror" Jerry Counelis' trespassing "devastating to this process" and could have cost the  system tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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The 55-year-old unemployed painter and guitar player was eliminated from the jury pool on Wednesday after defense attorneys found a posting from him on a Facebook page from 2012.

Counelis was at the courthouse on Friday during the lunch hour complaining about his anonymity and saying he is hiring an attorney. According to the trespassing report, Counelis walked into the foyer of the jury assembly and expressed his privacy concerns and animosity toward the jury process to the clerk.

Authorities approached him and said that as a dismissed juror he could not be in the jury assembly area or have any contact with potential jurors until after the trial.

Counelis then said, "do they know what they are in for!" pointing to the jury assembly room.

He was trespassed by authorities after about 30 minutes.

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