Voir Dire at the Trial of Lil’ Kim

Not automatically following Lil’ Kim’s trial on perjury and obstruction of justice charges against her, I almost missed the hilarious voir dire:

In a selection process that began last week, many prospective jurors were eliminated because of what Judge Lynch called “significant negative stereotypes” about rap music. Prosecutors and defense lawyers agreed to eliminate one juror who said on a pretrial questionnaire that “a lot of them seem to shoot each other.” Another juror who was removed from the pool said that drugs and crime seemed “to be part of their culture.”

A number of possible jurors objected to the raunchy lyrics and scant clothing of Ms. Jones, who is described as the Mae West of rap music on her main fan Web site. One juror complained that she “spends a lot of money on diamonds,” and seemed “like she would do almost anything for money.” The juror was dismissed.

Judge Lynch declined to eliminate several jurors who he said had disliked Ms. Jones’s “fashion sense,” but they were struck from the pool by government and defense lawyers.

Am I alone in thinking this perfect fodder for haikus? Three Haikus about Voir Dire at the Trial of Lil’ Kim:

I see drugs and crime
They seem to shoot each other
Part of their culture?

Or:

She spends much money
Does anything for money
Money for diamonds

And:

Even though I said
I disliked her fashion sense
I am not dismissed

And don’t miss the kicker at the end of the Times article:

By midafternoon, a jury of five women and seven men was selected that provided a cross section of New Yorkers, including a nursing assistant, a post office window clerk and a freelance writer.

Judge Lynch told them that they could not listen to Hot 97, a major New York hip-hop and rap station, during the trial, and they all agreed that it would not be a hardship for them.