Harris jury panel is technologically savvy, religious
Jury selection in the Ross Harris hot-car murder case began in earnest Tuesday with lawyers asking questions to the initial panel of prospective jurors.
The process began with three dozen Glynn County residents being seated in the jury box and four rows in the court gallery. As a strong rainstorm passed overhead, a steady leak of water dripped down from the ceiling, causing a deputy to put a trash can under it.
The first round of questioning revealed that this panel is fairly technologically savvy. More than a third of the initial 36 said they have worked in the computer field. Only one prospective juror, a retired domestic worker, does not regularly use a laptop or computer. Only three were not familiar with Facebook and only four do not regularly text on their cellphones.
Also, 25 of the three dozen prospective jurors said they regularly attend a church, mosque, temple or other religious institution.
Other characteristics of the initial panel:
- Twenty either are members of or have close friends or family members who have training or experience in law enforcement.
- Ten have had job responsibilities that allowed them to hire or fire people.
- None had studied or have expertise in the field of neuroscience, such as the study of how the brain works.
- Only nine had served on a jury or grand jury.
- Sixteen said they have watched legal documentaries, such as "Making a Murderer, or listened to podcasts such as "Breakdown" by the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Cobb prosecutor Chuck Boring asked the panel if any of them were familiar with the computer messaging systems used by Harris, such as Kik. In this case, only four prospective jurors said they knew about it. Almost a dozen said they'd used a computer messaging system to communicate with someone they didn't know.
On Monday, 27 of the 36 said they'd heard about the case in the news media and 19 said they'd already formed and expressed opinions as to Harris' guilt or innocence.
After Boring and then defense attorney Maddux Kilgore ask general questions to the jurors seated throughout the courtroom, individual jurors who said they knew about the case or had formed opinions about it will be called in for individual questioning.
If the pace of the first two days of jury selection is any indication, it looks like it was wise for Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark to set aside two weeks to pick a jury. Opening statements and testimony are scheduled to begin Oct. 3.
Harris stands charged with murder for the death of his son Cooper, who died after being left in a hot car on June 18, 2014, as well as charges that he allegedly sent sexually explicit messages to under-aged girls. His lawyers have insisted that Harris did not intentionally kill his son and that the incident was a tragic accident.
Harris is the subject of the second season of the AJC's podcast series "Breakdown," which will follow the trial's developments. Follow live updates on Twitter at @AJCBreakdown.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
