State Courts

Jury update: Lawyers pass half of those questioned in morning session

By Ron Sylvester

Lawyers said they interviewed eight prospective jurors and passed four of them for cause this morning in the first-degree murder trial of Scott Roeder.

Since jury selection began Wednesday, 29 have qualified to move on to the next round in the trial stemming from the killing of Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller. Lawyers need at least 42, and probably more, before whittling the panel down to those who will judge the evidence.

In this first phase, jurors are questioned and passed on whether or not they can hear the evidence impartially, or if there is some reasons they couldn’t be objective. Jurors are being questioned about their believes, and even personal experiences with, abortion. They are answering those questions in private.

Once this phase is over, jurors will then return as a group for more general questioning. Others may be dismissed at that stage.

The lawyers need to qualify a panel of 42. Then each side may strike 14 jurors for practically any reason, except those protected by law, such as race or gender. That will leave the final panel of 12 jurors and two alternates who will hear the evidence.

Roeder, 51, is charged with shooting Tiller in his church on May 31.

Full post as published by What the Judge Ate for Breakfast on January 19, 2010 (boomark / email).