Two potential jurors excused from hot car death pool
A man celebrating his 40th wedding anniversary in Paris and another away "on the high seas" were dismissed Monday from the pool of jurors who will decide whether Ross Harris intentionally killed his son.
Of the more than 300 jurors who received a summons to appear, 10 citizens pleaded hardship in hopes of recusal. The excuses ranged from a son’s graduation in Utah to a restaurant employee who said he was too valuable to be let off from work.
Though she granted just the two dismissals, Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley accommodated most of the other requests through rescheduling. With jury selection expected to take two weeks, if not longer, Staley could afford to be flexible.
Harris, 35, was arrested on June 18 2014, the same day he discovered his son Cooper's lifeless body in his car seat. The former Home Depot web developer said he forgot the 22-month-old boy was in the SUV, where he had been trapped for more than seven hours as Harris reported to work.
On Tuesday, prospective jurors will be required to fill out a detailed, 17-page questionnaire about the case. The selection process is scheduled to begin Wednesday.
Assuming 12 impartial jurors can be seated, testimony is likely to take upward of six weeks, say representatives from the prosecution and defense.
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.
