A high-profile judge who was on the bench for the Christian-Newsom trials will now face a jury from the other side of the bench next fall. Monday, the lawyer for former Knox County Judge Richard Baumgartner has asked for a unique method to select the jury that will decide his fate.
Baumgartner's attorney, Don Bosch, has asked that the jury take a written questionnaire.
Former Judge Richard Baumgartner faces seven counts of misprision of a felony. Those charges allege that the former judge knew about a crime and failed to report it.
The trial date for Baumgartner has been set for October 23.
Bosch requested a sealed jury questionnaire on Monday. He says that would save money and time by speeding up the jury selection process. More importantly, Bosch argues a questionnaire will help pick jurors who are impartial.
Because Baumgartner and the case have such a high profile, Bosch argues pre-trial publicity might influence jurors.