CENTENNIAL | Five jurors were retained for group questioning in the trial against accused theater shooter James Holmes on Wednesday. Selection ran long again, with some jurors staying past 7 p.m. in court.
Individual questioning continues to move quickly as 91 jurors have been retained for the third and final round of jury selection.
One juror retained for group questioning on Wednesday received applause from the prosecution and defense attorneys. The juror recited the advisements given by Judge Carlos Samour Jr. regarding conduct outside of the courthouse to the court by memory.
The same juror said she “practices mindfulness” and expressed concerns about her privacy if she were selected to serve on the jury.
“I feel comfortable that your identity will be protected,” Samour said.
Samour said he only refers to jurors by number and will not release their names during or after the trial. Samour also said that the video stream of the proceedings will not show any jurors and other cameras will not be allowed in the courthouse.
Another juror kept for group questioning has a younger brother diagnosed with bipolar disorder who was convicted of a crime and is serving time in jail in Arapahoe County. The juror said his brother’s experience would not impact his ability to be fair and impartial.
Jurors were released for financial hardship and the inability to sentence James Holmes to the death penalty.
Holmes sat quietly in a white-checkered button down shirt. Individual questioning will resume Thursday. Samour plans to have 120-130 jurors for group questioning.