Jury of 19 women and 5 men seated in Aurora theater shooting trial — details about the jury

The 12 jurors and 12 alternates were chosen after remaining candidates were questioned as a large group Monday and Tuesday.

Here’s what we know about some of the jurors selected, although only the judge and lawyers know who in the pool is a juror and who is an alternate:

One of the male jurors is canceling a vacation next month to serve on the jury. He has a son studying psychology in a California college and said he was in California at the time of the shooting so he doesn’t know much about the case. The man said he supports the death penalty, but not as much as he did when he was younger.

One female juror said she is uncertain about the death penalty and would want it for serial killers, but few others. And, the woman said, she isn’t sure if she could sentence someone to death. “I don’t think you actually know what you would really do until you have heard everything,” she said.

One retained  juror is a special education teacher who said she knew little about case and works with mentally-ill students.  “I tried not to know a lot about it in the beginning,” she said.  She said she grew up pretty liberal, but her husband is conservative and she now supports the death penalty more than she once did.

Another juror, a woman in her 50s, who works as an attendance clerk at a school, said that if a person kills multiple people, she would question their sanity. “Some people make poor choices and they just can’t help it,” she said. The woman said she believes in the death penalty but handing it down would be tough for her. “If anyone is killed it’s a loss of life,” she said.

A woman in her 30s said she would struggle seeing the graphic images that jurors are expected to see. About handing down the death penalty she said: “Honestly that would be a hard thing for me to do.”

But despite those reservations, it was the defense who objected to the woman during individual questioning. Public Defender Rebekka Higgs said the woman struggled with considering mitigating factors and had such strong feelings about the killing of a child she might not give Holmes the presumption of innocence. The judge and prosecution disagreed and said the woman would be impartial.

Another juror is a man in his 30s who manages a Bed, Bath and Beyond store. The man said he supports the death penalty in cases where guilt is not in doubt, but he also considers a life sentence a stiff punishment. “To have to sit behind bars and think about what you’ve done is pretty significant,” he said. Still, for the Columbine High School killers and Nathan Dunlap, the man said a death penalty is appropriate.

A middle-aged woman with curly brown hair said she has dealt with mental illness in her family, including a son addicted to drugs and others with depression. She said she believes some people are truly evil and have no soul, and the death penalty can be appropriate. Still, she said she would probably choose life in prison because she would think about her son being in Holmes’ position.

One of the jurors is a lawyer who said she believes in the death penalty in only some cases. The woman, who called her self a staunch supporter of the U.S. Constitution, said she sees serving on a jury as her responsibility. “People need to serve on a jury,” she said. “You can’t ask yourself ‘Why not me?’”

About 9,000 prospective jurors initially were summoned in what experts called the nation’s biggest-ever jury pool. They spent weeks filling out lengthy written questionnaires.

Hundreds were then asked to return for one-on-one questioning, where defense attorneys, prosecutors and the judge questioned them, sometimes for hours, about their views on the death penalty, mental illness and other aspects of the criminal justice system.

Opening statements are scheduled for April 27.

Holmes is charged with killing 12 people and wounding 70 others in the July 20, 2012, attack on a Aurora movie theater. His defense attorneys don’t dispute that he pulled the trigger but say he was in the grips of a psychotic episode when he slipped into the theater and opened fire while dressed from head to toe in combat gear.

Prosecutors insist Holmes was sane and will ask jurors to convict him and sentence him to death.

If the jury finds Holmes was legally insane at the time of the attack, he would be committed indefinitely to the state psychiatric hospital. If the jury convicts Holmes, the only other option other than a death sentence is life in prison.

Jury selection began Jan. 20.

Many potential jurors were excused when they said they already had an opinion on Holmes’ guilt or were morally opposed to the death penalty.

Still others were dismissed because of personal connections to the shooting, including people who had friends or family in the packed theater that night, or who knew some of the hundreds of first responders who rushed to the scene.

In group questioning, attorneys had the chance to dismiss potential jurors without giving cause.

THE BREAKDOWN

The 12 jurors and 12 alternates were chosen after a selection process that began Jan. 20.

There are 19 women and five men, all of whom will sit through the entire trial. Neither the group of 24 nor the public will know who is a primary juror and who is an alternate until the end of the trial.

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THE ALTERNATES

Judge Carlos A. Samour Jr. seated a dozen alternates because of the greater likelihood that jurors could have hardships during the lengthy trial.

On Tuesday, the judge excused a potential juror after questions were raised about her impartiality. Another woman was dismissed because her husband also was in the pool, and she said it would be hard on her family if they had to serve.

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LINE OF QUESTIONING

Attorneys on Tuesday questioned the 93 remaining jurors about their interpretations of the law, how they would gauge witnesses and experts’ credibility, and whether they could handle serving on such a high-profile trial.

District Attorney George Brauchler characterized it as a “four- to five-month roller coaster through the worst haunted house you can imagine.”

He asked prospective jurors if they could serve even if they hear no evidence of a motive, since prosecutors are required to prove only the 165 charges against Holmes — not why they believe he committed the crimes.

Holmes’ attorney, Tamara Brady, focused on perceptions of Holmes and whether the jury candidates could be objective given the litany of charges against him and the public scrutiny they will face.

“I want to start off by telling you how nervous I am about whether Mr. Holmes can get a fair trial in this case or whether it’s just too big,” she said.

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JURORS’ CONCERNS

Potential jurors told attorneys they worry about what their neighbors might think if they reach an unpopular verdict and whether reporters would harass their families.

One man said he was reassured when the judge told him steps were taken to shield his identity. And many pledged they would not let their decision-making be influenced by concern about what others think.

Samour repeatedly has told potential jurors not to listen to, watch or read news of the case, or even be in a position to overhear others discuss it. One potential juror said Tuesday she cancelled her newspaper subscription and was planning to delete the news apps from her smartphone.

Other candidates expressed trepidation about hearing graphic testimony and perhaps being overwhelmed by emotion.

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WHAT’S TAKEN SO LONG?

Some prospective jurors have asked the judge why it has taken nearly three years for the case to come to trial.

Samour has said it’s not an unusual amount of time for a trial this complex. The death penalty and insanity plea introduced complicated and time-consuming legal requirements.

Experts say the process has been among the nation’s largest and most complex. Court officials initially summoned 9,000 prospective jurors, who started filling out questionnaires in January.

Hundreds were then asked to return for one-on-one sessions, where defense attorneys, prosecutors and the judge asked them about their views on the death penalty and mental illness.

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WHAT ABOUT OTHER LARGE TRIALS?

In the amount of time it has taken so far in Denver, federal jurors in Boston convicted marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

That case was accelerated by Tsarnaev’s admission that he participated in the April 2013 bombings and that his brother, Tamarlan, was the mastermind.

The Texas trial for the killer of a former Navy SEAL depicted in the movie “American Sniper” was complicated by publicity about the film. But jury selection moved quickly because it didn’t involve concerns about the large number of people affected by the crime.

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WHAT’S NEXT?

The chosen jurors will report to court the afternoon of April 27 for opening statements.

— The Associated Press contributed to this story.