RETRIAL OF MAREO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22427, 25 May 1936, Page 12

RETRIAL OF MAREO

OPENING ON JUNE 1 jUDGE OSTLER MAY PRESIDE Although no official announcement has been made, it is considered likely that Mr. Justice Ostler will preside when the retrial of Eric Mareo, the Auckland musician, who was found guilty of the murder of his wife by the administration of verpnal poison, opens in the Auckland Supreme Court on Monday next, June 1. A relieving Judge has to be appointed to assist Mr. Justice Callan with the business of the Supreme Court, as Mr. Justice Fair, who conducted the first trial, leaves next week to preside at the criminal sessions of the Hamilton Supreme Court, and after that will go to Wellington to attend sittings of the Court of Appeal. Summonses for the trial of Mareo have been issued to 60 jurors. In criminal cases, counsel for accused have the right to challenge six jurors, but the Crown can stand aside as many as desired, and when the full list has been exhausted, it still has the right to six more challenges. Although the challenges on behalf of accused are limited to six, an accused person still has the right, if he can put forward a satisfactory cause to the Judge, to eliminate other jurors.

The case for the Crown will bo conducted by Mr. V. R. Meredith and Mr. F. McCarthy, and Mareo will bo defended again by Mr. Humphrey O'Leary, K.C., of Wellington, with him Mr. K. C. Aekins and Mr. Trevor Henry.