There is concern about the lower than expected number of jurors being selected

The trial resumed today with questioning of another 16 prospective jurors. The sixteenth day of jury selection overall and eleventh day of general voir dire was completed. 16 jurors were questioned Tuesday and five of the prospective jurors were passed for cause and return on October 8, 2009 for the final jury selection process. After 11 days of general questioning, 51 jurors have been cleared for cause (out of 174 jurors questioned). There are four days and 64 jurors left in the scheduled jury questioning process. The trial resumes Wednesday morning with voir dire of a new group of 16 jurors.

Judge Parsons at the end of the afternoon expressed his concern about the number of jurors we have cleared for cause. He estimated that at this rate, next Tuesday when we complete questioning of the remaining jurors, we will have less than 70 jurors cleared for cause. Our goal was to have over 80-85 jurors cleared for cause. Judge Parsons asked the attorneys to consider how the court should proceed in light of the low number and be prepared to discuss it later this week.