Former President Bill Clinton has been tapped for jury duty in a New York murder case. The Judge is inclined to excuse him due to the publicity and effect of the constant presence of secret service--she wants the trial to stay focused on the evidence.

Clinton filled out his questionnaire, and said he could be fair. His lawer, David Kendall, says he's ready to serve. The prosecution wants Clinton excused. The defense says, "not so fast."

We would love the opportunity to voir dire Clinton --but ultimately, we feel sure we would excuse him. Too many crime bills came in under Clinton, particularly the 1996 Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act. Under his Admnistration, we saw big increases in the number of death penalty-eligible offenses, the number of wiretaps and mandatory minimum sentences. While most people think of Clinton as liberal and tolerant, he was terrible on criminal justice issues.

So while we wish he was still President for other reasons, we know we wouldn't want him on a murder jury. We'd make a challenge for cause, and if that was denied, he'd be peremptory challenge number one. Sorry, Bill.