Harris jury pool questioned on everything from sex to Nancy Grace
Potential jurors in the Ross Harris trial spent a good part of Tuesday answering questions about their TV viewing habits, feelings about law enforcement and sex lives.
Such questionnaires, designed to help ensure the selection of an impartial panel, can get personal, and this one was no exception. Among the questions:
- Have you ever looked at a pornographic website?
- Have you ever been in a relationship with someone you met online?
- Have you, or has someone you know, ever had a sexual addiction?
About 250 citizens, out of 375 who were sent summonses for the Harris trial, answered the questionnaires, said Cobb County court administrator Tom Charron.
Harris, 35, is accused of intentionally leaving his son inside a hot car to die. He pleaded not guilty to charges including felony murder and malice murder. The Alabama native, held without bond since June 2014, is also charged with criminal attempt to commit a felony (sexual exploitation of children) and two counts of disseminating harmful material to minors
The defense attempted to sever those charges, arguing they were irrelevant to the rest of the case. Cobb Superior Court Judge Mary Staley denied those defense motions.
The jury selection process will begin Wednesday morning and is expected to take two weeks, if not longer, according to legal observers.
For all the latest developments in the Harris case, follow @ReporterJCB on Twitter.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
