October 25, 2005

Mealey's is paying four jurors (including the infamous "Oprah juror" (Aug. 20/22, Aug. 22)) $500 each to participate in a 90-minute teleconference on November 2, being sold for $199. An attorney with Mark Lanier's law firm is moderating.

The teleconference is the second event in which [juror Derrick] Chizer will participate. In late September, he and two other Ernst case jurors were flown to New York City and put up at the Hilton by Ernst's law firm for a private seminar with more than 100 lawyers, he said. They were also given a per-diem for expenses during the trip, Chizer said. The jurors, in interviews last week, declined to say how much.

(Ed Silverman and Jeff May, "Vioxx jurors cashing in as trial advisers", The Star-Ledger, Oct. 23).