Nine more Glynn County residents on Wednesday were declared eligible to serve as jurors in the Ross Harris hot-car murder trial. This means the grueling selection process, now in its second week, is finally nearing an end.
The most recent additions brought the total number of jurors in the final pool at 38. At least 42 are needed before prosecutors and defense attorneys can exercise their strikes to winnow the pool down to 12 main jurors and four alternates.
Final strikes are expected to take place Oct. 3, after the trial takes off the last week of September. Opening statements and testimony could begin that same day.
Among the nine people declared eligible on Wednesday were: the wife of a lawyer whose mantra was “Go by the evidence;” a landscaper who said both her mother and brother “died in my arms” of terminal illnesses in recent years; a former school bus driver whose friend’s dog died because her husband left the dog in his hot car; and a retired carpenter who participates in Civil War reenactments and says he can make up his own mind, even though his wife told him she thinks Harris is guilty.
Among those who did not make the cut was a retired banker who now serves as a personal assistant for a corporate executive. She said she couldn’t change her opinion that Harris is guilty.
“It is not even in my realm of thinking that anyone would leave a living thing in his car,” she said. “Even to leave a lizard in the car for a couple of hours in 99-degree weather like we have around here or y’all probably have up there, you know, that’s murder.”
After the nine potential jurors were declared eligible 0n Wednesday, lawyers began questioning a new batch of 11 Glynn County residents. While it’s possible this final panel will have enough eligible jurors to end the questioning process, almost all of these potential jurors have said they already formed and expressed an opinion on Harris’ guilt or innocence.
Individual questioning of these jurors’ opinions on Harris’ guilt or innocence is expected to be finished Thursday morning. After that, the prosecution and defense will determine how many will be eligible to advance forward to the final pool.
About the Author
