Juror names won't be secret in Cosby slaying case

Ennis Cosby

Prosecutor: Accused killer linked to gang

SANTA MONICA, California (CNN) -- A prosecutor in the Ennis Cosby slaying case said Tuesday that jurors' names should be kept secret to protect them because the Ukrainian immigrant charged with the crime is a member of the Mexican mafia.

Superior Court Judge David Perez rejected prosecutor Anne Ingalls' bid for secrecy. He said California law requires jurors' names to be public unless there is a compelling reason to keep them secret.

Ingalls suggested that jurors could be in danger of retaliation from supporters of Michael Markhasev, who is charged with killing the son of comedian Bill Cosby.

"My information is that he is a 'made' member of the Mexican mafia," Ingalls said of the 19-year-old Markhasev. "We are concerned about that."

Markhasev

A "made" member is one who is formally initiated into a gang.

Markhasev's lawyer, Henry Hall, protested Ingalls' remarks, saying, "That's the biggest bunch of nonsense I've heard." However, he agreed that jurors should remain anonymous.

Hall said many prospective jurors stated on written questionnaires that they believe Markhasev is guilty. He blamed the media for that.

"There is clearly a media expectation that Mr. Markhasev will be convicted in this case," he said. "If we allow media unfettered information on the jurors, my client's rights will be severely compromised."

Ennis Cosby, 27, was found slain on January 16, 1997, alongside a Los Angeles freeway where he had pulled over to change a flat tire on his Mercedes convertible. Two months later, Markhasev was arrested after tipsters seeking a reward from a tabloid newspaper named him as the killer.

Police at the scene of the January 1997 shooting

Police say Markhasev was out looking for drug money with a few friends, saw Cosby, and shot and killed him while attempting to rob him.

Although the judge declined to seal jurors' names, he said he will consider requests by individual jurors to keep personal information secret.

More than 180 prospective jurors have told the judge they could serve on the case, which is expected to last four to six weeks.

Perez began questioning prospective jurors Tuesday, hoping to find 12 jurors and six alternates by the end of the week.

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