Libby Juror Exposed to Outside Information

Yesterday the world's most incompetent ombudsperson, Deborah Howell of the Washington Post, defended the Post for publishing Republican mouthpiece Victoria Toensing's partisan article attacking the prosecution of Scooter Libby. The article also attacked prosecutor Pat Fitzgerald personally and was accompanied by a graphic with a mugshot-like picture of Fitzgerald. Readers and media critics were understandably upset that the slanted article was planted in the middle of the trial. In her column Howell addressed this complaint from a reader:

Chris Webster was among dozens who complained: "Publishing her partisan version of history and parsed interpretation of the law the weekend before jury deliberations could be considered jury tampering."

with this answer:

This wasn't tampering. The judge has instructed jurors to stay away from news reports.

Today's news from the Scooter Libby trial:

Libby juror exposed to outside information.

Deborah Howell is once again proved the fool. And the Washington Post may have allowed the wingnuts to influence this trial. Shame, shame. No wonder firedoglake has dubbed her "Lil' Debbie".

UPDATE: The juror was dismissed; the jury will continue to deliberate, with 11 jurors.