Legal terrain altered for Oakland Police Misconduct "Riders" retrial

It seems like just yesterday that three Oakland police officers known as "The Riders" were facing charges they lied in arrest reports about suspected drug dealers in West Oakland. But it's been a year since the lengthy first trial of the ex-cops ended, with jurors acquitting them on eight charges and deadlocking on the remaining 27. On Monday, the key players -- the officers and their attorneys -- will gather once again for the start of a retrial on 15 remaining charges at the Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland. This time around, potential jurors will be meticulously screened, in response to criticism that the original panel did not fairly represent Oakland's demographics. And Judge Jeffrey Horner has set strict rules of engagement that have significantly altered the legal terrain for the rematch between prosecutors and attorneys defending Clarence "Chuck" Mabanag, Matthew Hornung and Jude Siapno.  Horner issued gag orders against both parties in the trial and barred news cameras from the seventh floor of Oakland's Rene Davidson Courthouse, where the retrial will take place.  [more ]