Juror #9

I was already a fan of Pittsburgh's Bishop David Zubik.

The fact that he's doing his civic duty and serving on a jury only makes me more of one.

The bishop is one of nine Allegheny County residents seated in the case of three defendants charged with breaking into an apartment and threatening, beating, robbing and sexually assaulting various people inside.

The Post-Gazette and The Trib have the story.

A bit from Gabrielle Banks' P-G report:

As the trial progressed, courtroom observers and witnesses, who hadn't been alerted to the bishop's presence, seemed to note it all the same. One witness, who was subjected to rigorous cross-examination by Mr. Sheets, said seeing the man with the white collar, clerics and crucifix in the jury box kept him from losing his cool on the stand.

A friend of one of the co-defendants asked another person in the gallery, "Is that dude a priest?"

The photo above is from the P-G.