NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP/WMOT) — Attorneys for convicted Vanderbilt rapists Corey Batey and Brandon Vandenburg say one of the jururs who heard their case wasn’t truthful when questioned prior to being seated on the panel.
WSMV-TV quotes defense attorneys as saying a juror failed to disclose being the victim of a sex crime more than a decade ago.
Both the defense and the prosecution carefully vet jurors before a trial begins in an attempt to weed out anyone who might have preconceptions about the case.
Batey and Vandenburg’s lawyers say they plan to file a motion for a new trial.
In media reports, District Attorney Glenn Funk is downplaying the possibility that the case may need to be tried a second time.
In a related, story, Vanderbilt University Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos has issued a statement saying the school must work harder to prevent sexual assaults.
The statement was posted on Vanderbilt's website after two former students and football players were found guilty in the 2013 rape of a fellow student.
Zeppos says he is "deeply troubled" that some students either knew about the rape or should have known and did nothing to stop it or report it.
"I will not be satisfied until campus sexual assaults are a thing of the past. And I want Vanderbilt to be at the forefront of that effort," the statement reads.
Zeppos says the school's efforts will include raising awareness about the importance of intervening when another student is in distress.
Vanderbilt University Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos has issued a statement saying the school must work harder to prevent sexual assaults.