CENTENNIAL | No-shows by potential jurors got the attention yesterday of the court handling the Aurora theater shooting trial despite the process of creating a large jury pool being ahead of schedule.
One juror failed to appear for the second time for individual juror questioning in the shooting trial on Wednesday, prompting a conversation about what to about that juror and many like him. Other potential jurors picked to participate in group questioning soon have contacted the court saying they can no longer serve after they had been questioned and agreed to serve.
District Attorney George Brauchler asked what the consequence is for jurors that fail to appear. Judge Carlos Samour Jr. said, “We could issue contempt citations, but we would have to issue 1,000 or 2,000 of them.”
Samour told one elderly woman who was released, “You showed up, and that is more than a lot of people.”
Samour said he has received numerous emails from jurors who previously said they could serve but are now saying they cannot. Samour said these jurors are having a “change of heart” or “cold feet” and that he would be “much tougher” on these individuals. Samour said that he gives jurors one opportunity to explain their hardships during individual questioning.
Two potential jurors were selected Wednesday for group questioning, bringing the total number of jurors scheduled for group questioning to 102. Defense attorney Daniel King said he was concerned about having enough jurors by the April 13 group questioning date. Samour said one more juror will be scheduled for each afternoon session next week and suggested scheduling jurors for Friday instead of taking the day off. The defense objected to scheduling jurors for Friday because they do not want to disrupt the order of summons.
Some potential jurors were released Wednesday for financial hardship, inability to make a 60 mile commute to the court house, and the inability to presume Holmes as innocent. Holmes sat quietly reading a printed copy of a book. Individual questioning will resume Thursday. Opening statements are scheduled for April 27.