"There maybe witnesses from a different religion, race or lifestyle than yours"

Jury selection finally started at 10:15 this morning in former correctional officer Cory Fisher's case. Jurors had been questioned individually after they filled out questionnaires.

DA investigator Kyla Baxley is seated next to Deputy District Attorney Stacey Eads. Fisher dressed in a mauve shirt is seated next to Deputy Conflict Counsel David Lee.

Even with twelve jurors in the box and six alternates seated, the Courtroom is packed with just one empty seat this morning. That could change if Judge Timothy Canning excuses jurors for hardship this afternoon.

There are a lot more men than women in this jury pool.

Judge Canning read the charges in detail. Then he asked some questions. Judge Canning asked the usual  questions: Can you be unbiased? Can you set aside what you heard in the news?

Then he asked a question I have not heard in any jury selection I covered and it was a good one. "There maybe witnesses from a different religion, race or lifestyle than yours" and he asked if that would that affect the ability of any of the jurors to be impartial. No one raised their hand.

Before lunch, Mr. Lee asked some group questions and individial questions. His questioning will continue this afternoon. Ms. Eads objected to some of Mr. Lee's questions and that resulted in conferences at the bench. Besides presumption of innocence and proof beyond a reasonable doubt, Mr. Lee asked jurors that while the charges were being read, if any of them thought about the victims and if anyone thought about being falsely accused of such charges.

Ms. Eads did her questioning later this afternoon. She said Judge Canning and Mr. Lee covered a lot of what she would have asked and spoke about the role of the juror being to determine facts and not about how one feels. She focused on the jury instruction about the testimony of one single witness being sufficient for a conviction in a sexual offense case.

After lunch, one juror was excused and an alternate juror was seated in the box. Except for one man in a Lundberg Farms cap who loudly talked throughout jury selection, all day, in court and clearly does not want to be there, the rest of the jurors in the audience paid attention to the proceedings.

Previous post:
https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2019/03/four-inmates-return-from-state-prison.html?m=1