NEW YORK — The entertainer, the longtime host of “The Late Show With David Letterman,” had to answer questions Monday when a federal judge in New York City called for him to audition for a possible role as a juror in a criminal trial.
It was the grim backdrop of a criminal trial involving cryptocurrency fraud when Judge P. Kevin Casteel questioned the famously bearded comedian, identified in court only as “Juror 16,” just as he had asked three dozen other potential jurors to determine who would be on the panel of 12 jurors and four alternates.
Potential jurors have already gone through a typical round of questioning in which individuals are dismissed for hardship reasons, such as medical problems or jobs they cannot be relieved from. The trial is expected to last less than two weeks.
When Letterman, who resigned from his show in 2015, reached the final round to be selected for the jury, the judge asked a simple question: “Where do you live?”
“Hartford,” Letterman responded, proving he can’t get a single word out without cracking a joke.
“No, it’s a joke,” Letterman immediately told the judge. Hartford is in Connecticut, which would have disqualified him from the jury because it is outside the area where jurors are selected.
“Nice try,” the judge responded, adding, “You thought you’d leave Queens,” which is another location outside the area covered by the Southern District of New York. Queens is located in the Eastern District of New York.
After Letterman revealed his actual state of residence — Westchester County — the two exchanged questions and answers nearly three dozen times.
Along the way, the judge, lawyers and more than three dozen potential jurors learned much about Letterman that the world already knows: He was born in Indianapolis, earned a degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and his 20-year-old son is in college in Massachusetts.
When asked what he does for a living, Letterman said he is currently “working for a company called Netflix.”
“Spouse or significant other?” Castiel asked.
Letterman responded, “I have both. Right now I just have a spouse.”
When asked how he gets his news, Letterman reminisced about the past: “Every morning I picked up the newspaper on the front porch. Now, when I open the computer it’s a collection of news sources from all over the United States and around the world.”
When asked what he likes to watch besides Netflix shows, Letterman said, “I like sports.”
“I’m glad football is back. I’m glad baseball is back this summer. I love motor sports. I love what most Americans watch on TV,” he said.
The judge asked him if he was a fan of Indianapolis Colts football.
“I’m a huge Colts fan. 0 and 2, but still a fan,” he said, referring to the fact that the Colts have lost their first two games this season.
As hobbies, Letterman said he enjoys fishing, skiing and the outdoors.
The judge asked, “Have you ever been called as a juror?”
Letterman replied, “Called several times. But it couldn’t happen.”
“You know, this might be the highlight,” Casteel said, adding that he knew Letterman had a 50-50 chance of making it to the panel.
“It would be a pleasure,” Letterman said.
Finally, shortly before the jury was sworn in, Letterman was ejected when a prosecutor used what is called a “strike,” which allows lawyers for either side to drop a certain number of potential jurors from the panel for any reason. It was the third of four strikes carried out by prosecutors. No reason was given.
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