CENTENNIAL | Five jurors in the Aurora theater shooting trial were sent to the group questioning phase Monday while another six were released from service.
The five jurors moving to the next round — which include two who have been jurors before — bring the total over 22 days of jury selection to 32, still far ahead of the pace Judge Carlos Samour Jr. had hoped for. Samour expected the court to need about 16 weeks of individual questioning to get the necessary 120 jurors for the next round. After just two weeks, the two sides already have a quarter of that number.
Among the jurors released Monday, two said they could never hand down a death sentence. One person worked at the mall adjacent to the theater and three said serving would be a financial hardship.
In addition to the two jurors who have previously served on a jury, Samour selected a woman who works as a special education teacher and a man who described himself in court as a “small town guy.”
Samour also selected a young man over the defense’s objection. The defense said the man seemed to view the death penalty as a starting point for a heinous crime, but Samour questioned the man a second time and said the man was willing to consider life in prison or a death sentence.
Accused gunman James Holmes sat quietly at the defense table wearing a blue sweater.
Monday’s hearing marked the first since Samour last week changed decided to call 11 jurors each day instead of 12. Samour had said he hoped the new system would mean court ended a bit earlier, but Monday’s session stretched past 6 p.m. anyway.
Prosecutors also asked Samour to release a juror who had previously been sent to the next round. The juror, whio has a criminal record, was previously questioned and the two Samour sent him to the group questioning phase. Deputy District Attorney Rich Orman said the man recently called the DA’s office and spoke to another prosecutor.
Orman said the man should be released, but Holmes’ defense team said they “strongly object” to the man’s dismissal.
What exactly the man said and whether he was released was unclear. Samour closed the courtroom to the public while the two sides discussed the man’s phone call and adjourned court for the day before reopening the courtroom to the public and press.
Court is in recess until Tuesday morning.