Slow Going In Casey Anthony Jury Selection
CLEARWATER (CBS4) – It's slow going in Clearwater as prosecutors and defense attorneys work their way through a pool of potential jurors for the upcoming trial of Casey Anthony.
On Tuesday, Chief Judge Belvin Perry had planned to swear-in 17 jurors. The jurors had made it through three rounds of vetting, but the group was reduced to 11 when the prosecution and defense each used three peremptory challenges.
Perry says he plans to swear-in the jurors after finding one more from the pool that has yet to be questioned about knowledge of the case and the death penalty. The rest of the day will be spent finding several alternates.
As prospective jurors answer questions about their background and qualifications to serve, lawyers are checking their responses against postings on online media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Anthony is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, in 2008. She's pleaded not guilty and says a babysitter kidnapped the toddler. The trial will be held in Orlando, but jury selection was moved to Clearwater in the hope of seating an unbiased jury. Jurors will be sequestered during the trial that's expected to last six to eight weeks.
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