Lay, Skilling seek to move trial

Houston - Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling say potential jurors’ answers to questionnaires in their fraud and conspiracy case are so vitriolic the men can’t get a fair trial in Houston.

Prospective jurors called Skilling a “high-class crook,” who “would lie to his mother if it would further his cause.” He “projects a high sleaze factor,” he’s a “thief,” and “cheater,” according to a filing Wednesday in which his lead attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, asked again to move the trial to another city.

The filing noted some of the potential jurors called Lay “the biggest lying crook of all,” a “career Enron leader who conveniently looked the other way as his lieutenants bent and broke laws in pursuit of profits and ever greater stock prices” and “did a lot of injustice to a lot of good people.”

“These are not the hasty responses of random people who participated in a test survey. These are actual responses from actual prospective jurors in this case who took time to carefully and thoughtfully write out their answers,” Petrocelli said in the filing.

Prosecutors have yet to respond to the latest request to move the trial, and U.S. District Judge Sim Lake gave no indication of how he would rule. A year ago, Lake rejected the defense teams’ first request to move the trial to Denver, Phoenix or Atlanta, noting that extensive pretrial publicity wasn’t so inflammatory or pervasive that it would prevent a fair trial.

Lay’s lead lawyer, Michael Ramsey, told the judge at a hearing Wednesday that 80 percent of the 280 questionnaires the defense teams have seen show “negative, heated, emotional answers” about the defendants and “some of those people are going to end up on the jury.”

That pool has already been whittled to 175 prospective jurors from the 400 throughout the 13-county Houston area who originally received questionnaires last November.

Lay and Skilling face trial Jan. 30 on charges including fraud and conspiracy for allegedly scheming to mislead investors about Enron’s financial health before the company filed for bankruptcy in December 2001 after revelations of hidden debt and inflated profits.

New Silverwood ride: ‘Panic Plunge’

A Spokane family submitted the winning name for Silverwood Theme Park’s newest ride: Panic Plunge.

The ride will be unveiled on May 6. Jeff and Denise Davenny and their two sons will be aboard for the ride’s inaugural run.

Panic Plunge will haul 12 people up a 140-foot flagpole. Then, “when you least expect it,” the carriage releases in a free fall-like plunge, Gary Norton, Silverwood’s owner, said in an October interview. The ride reaches speeds of 47 mph before landing safely.

More than 300 names were submitted in a contest to name the ride. Other suggestions included Rush, Zero Gravity, Drop Zone and Terminal Velocity.

While many of the names were catchy, some were already trademarked by other amusement parks, said Marketing Director Nancy DiGiammarco. Several people suggested Panic Plunge. The park checked the entry dates, and determined that the Davennys were the first to enter the name.

The family will receive a season pass to the park. They will also be featured in Silverwood’s advertising.

A Texas firm, Larson International Inc., is building the $1 million ride.

Tech growth will be focus of roundtable

The man in charge of Washington’s largest private research lab will discuss opportunities for future technology growth in the region during a breakfast roundtable Friday at the Davenport Hotel.

Dr. Len Peters, director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, will be the featured speaker during the event that takes place from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Davenport’s Early Bird room.

Peters will update research, both federally and privately funded, at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and discuss ways PNNL has developed connections with other Eastern Washington groups.

Sponsoring the Spokane Science and Technology Roundtable are the Technology Alliance and the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research, two nonprofit groups that promote technology partnerships and innovation.

To make reservations for the series, contact the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research at (206) 465-4691 or by e-mail at lhassell@nwabr.org. Further information is at www.technology-alliance.com/strt/spokane.html, said Laurie Hassell, regional manager of the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research.