Blake Jurors Want Apology From Prosecutor

LOS ANGELES – Jurors who acquitted actor Robert Blake (search) of murder — and were later called "incredibly stupid" by District Attorney Steve Cooley (search) — want an apology.

"I'm just disgusted," Blake jury foreman Thomas Nicholson (search) said Thursday. "It appears to me he has no faith in the jury selection. After all, it was his people who helped choose us."

Loyola University law professor Laurie Levenson called Cooley's comment a major lapse in judgment — and "much more of an embarrassment for him than the jurors."

"At a time when it's hard enough to have juries come forward, it doesn't help to start insulting them," she added.

On Tuesday, Cooley defended the prosecutor who lost the Blake case and said he was stunned jurors found the actor not guilty of killing his wife and of one count of soliciting her murder.

"Quite frankly, based on my review of the evidence, he is as guilty as sin. He is a miserable human being," Cooley said.

Jurors said the comments were unfair.

"If Mr. Cooley ... thinks there was enough evidence to convict, then he should spend more time doing his job and less time trying to make excuses," said juror Roberto Emerick.

Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said officials had no further comment.

On Thursday night, Cooley stood by his comments.

"There was a failure in this case. It was not my prosecutor. It was not the work of LAPD. It was the jurors didn't quite get it," he said, conceding, however, "I could have phrased it differently."

"But bottom line it was the wrong verdict," he said. "Sometimes jurors should be held accountable for their mistakes."