100 years ago in Spokane: Juror defends his not guilty vote in murder trial

From our archives, 100 years ago

The jury in the Alfonso Pansieri murder trial failed to reach a verdict, after a lone juror, J.M. Rice, refused to go along with the other 11 jurors, who had voted for a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree. Rice was convinced Pansieri was not guilty by reason of insanity.

The jury foreman complained that “you could not reason with Rice.”

“Let them abuse me about my opinion,” Rice said. “I could not find that man accountable for his acts. He shot (John) Tobiason, but he was crazy at the time and is crazy yet. He always was crazy, as far as that was concerned. The prosecutor failed to show one rational act of that man. He should have been locked up in the asylum years ago. Shall I let that jury compel me to send him to the penitentiary? No sir.”

The jury foreman said, “Of course the man shot Tobiason and he did it knowing he was doing it. We do not believe he was a brilliant man then, now, or ever will be, but he shot him, and he should go to the pen.”

Another juror said, “He might be classed between a fool and an insane man, but he is not crazy to the extent he should escape the penitentiary.”

Defense attorney Joseph Albi later asked some of the jurors why they voted to convict a man who had been characterized as an “imbecile.” They said he had taken a human life and deserved to suffer punishment. Pansieri shot Tobiason, the owner of a hat shop, during an argument over money.

The prosecutor planned to retry the case.