[JURIST] US District Judge Reggie B. Walton [official profile] dismissed a juror Monday morning in the perjury trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby [defense website; JURIST news archive] after questioning the jury over possible exposure to information about the trial over the weekend. Although Walton had ordered jurors to avoid contact with media coverage about the CIA leak case [JURIST news archive], the judge said Monday that the juror had been exposed to information that "obviously disqualifies her." Two alternate jurors are available to serve on the panel, but Walton said that none of the other jurors had been tainted and that deliberations would continue with just 11 jurors. AP has more.

Lawyers made their final arguments [JURIST report] last Tuesday, with the defense arguing that Libby was a scapegoat for presidential aide Karl Rove's disclosures. In its final remarks, the prosecution argued that Libby was merely trying to a cover up a potentially illegal intelligence leak of former undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. Libby is not charged with leaking Plame's identity, but instead faces perjury and obstruction of justice charges [indictment, PDF; JURIST report] in connection with the investigation into the leak.