Jury selection nears completion, murder trial scheduled to begin Monday
NORWICH – Members of the community were asked if they had any ties to witnesses, the defendant, or the court during the jury selection process for the murder of veteran David Green, and eventually 12 were chosen.
Monday morning in the Chenango County Courthouse, every member of the county's District Attorney's Office and Public Defender's Office were present for the jury selection process, along with the defendant Jeremy Coates. The 12 jury members were eventually selected, but the process was delayed, and alternate jury selection and opening arguments were scheduled for next Monday starting at around 9 a.m. in the Chenango County Courthouse.
"Usually in a murder case we have at least 2 alternates, " said District Attorney Joseph McBride, "but we didn't have any alternates or potential jurors to choose from, so we had to adjourn until next Monday."
McBride explained they will summon another batch of jurors on Monday morning, and after going through the selection process again they'll have the alternate jurors.
"Within an hour we'll have the next two jurors, and then we will start with preliminary instructions, opening arguments, and testimony," predicted McBride.
This Monday, Chenango County Judge Frank Revoir began the instruction for potential jurors and swore them in.
"Members of the community, not government officials, decide if the defendant is guilty or innocent," said the judge.
Each of those called in for jury duty answered questions in a hushed sidebar with court officials.
Once those with potential biases or other obligations were sent home, the remaining individuals had their names put into a bingo-styled lottery wheel, where name cards were randomly pulled and called out for the first batch of jurors.
16 people were then questioned further, and sometimes this lead to awkward silences like when assistant public defender Zachary Wentworth asked, "Have any of you ever been falsely accused of doing something when you were younger?" to which there were no hands raised or responses.
Silence wasn't always the case however, as during McBride's conversation with the jury one potential juror asked him, "Why do we bother having trials where everyone knows the defendant is guilty?"
After a brief meeting in the judge's quarters, that potential juror was sent home along with seven others, having been voted off of the panel by the attorneys.
Eventually the jury pool was exhausted, and more potential jurors were required for alternate juror selection. According to court officials, "the jury selection will continue on April 9 and is expected to be finished that same day, with the trial beginning sometime Monday afternoon."
Monday morning in the Chenango County Courthouse, every member of the county's District Attorney's Office and Public Defender's Office were present for the jury selection process, along with the defendant Jeremy Coates. The 12 jury members were eventually selected, but the process was delayed, and alternate jury selection and opening arguments were scheduled for next Monday starting at around 9 a.m. in the Chenango County Courthouse.
"Usually in a murder case we have at least 2 alternates, " said District Attorney Joseph McBride, "but we didn't have any alternates or potential jurors to choose from, so we had to adjourn until next Monday."
McBride explained they will summon another batch of jurors on Monday morning, and after going through the selection process again they'll have the alternate jurors.
"Within an hour we'll have the next two jurors, and then we will start with preliminary instructions, opening arguments, and testimony," predicted McBride.
This Monday, Chenango County Judge Frank Revoir began the instruction for potential jurors and swore them in.
"Members of the community, not government officials, decide if the defendant is guilty or innocent," said the judge.
Each of those called in for jury duty answered questions in a hushed sidebar with court officials.
Once those with potential biases or other obligations were sent home, the remaining individuals had their names put into a bingo-styled lottery wheel, where name cards were randomly pulled and called out for the first batch of jurors.
16 people were then questioned further, and sometimes this lead to awkward silences like when assistant public defender Zachary Wentworth asked, "Have any of you ever been falsely accused of doing something when you were younger?" to which there were no hands raised or responses.
Silence wasn't always the case however, as during McBride's conversation with the jury one potential juror asked him, "Why do we bother having trials where everyone knows the defendant is guilty?"
After a brief meeting in the judge's quarters, that potential juror was sent home along with seven others, having been voted off of the panel by the attorneys.
Eventually the jury pool was exhausted, and more potential jurors were required for alternate juror selection. According to court officials, "the jury selection will continue on April 9 and is expected to be finished that same day, with the trial beginning sometime Monday afternoon."
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