Jury selection process begins for trial of Robert Bowers
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — We could know the verdict of the Tree of Life synagogue shooter's federal death penalty trial just shy of the five-year commemoration ceremony.
Accused gunman Robert Bowers will go on trial this May, and the jury selection process began Monday.
KDKA-TV's Meghan Schiller sat in on the court proceedings Monday as the judge addressed one group of potential jurors.
The man accused of killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill in 2018 appeared in federal court Monday for the first time in more than four years. He sat at the table with his defense team wearing a white dress shirt and gray sweater and appeared noticeably skinnier and paler than in the picture that has circulated since that tragic day.
About 1,500 people living across 24 counties in western Pennsylvania received a summons to appear before the judge and learned they're potential jurors in this long-awaited trial.
Potential jurors learned a few key points, including that Bowers has been charged in a 63-count federal indictment for allegedly opening fire inside the synagogue and killing 11 worshippers, and injuring many others. The potential jurors learned he entered a plea of "not guilty" and that the government is seeking the death penalty. If convicted, jurors will decide if Bowers faces life in prison without the possibility of parole or death.
Potential jurors were asked to complete an extensive questionnaire to give the attorneys and judge a better picture of where they stand on key issues.
The judge said, "There are no right or wrong answers" to the questions and asked the room to give "honest and complete" answers, saying "do not answer based on what you think you should say on what is socially desirable or acceptable."
The potential jurors learned Monday that this questionnaire is just the first step in the screening, and those who make it past this step will meet for in-person questioning in late April.
Once the trial begins, the judge said it will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, with every other Friday off. The trial is estimated to last from May until July.
The judge does not plan to sequester the jury, meaning jurors will be allowed to return home each night.
