Jury duty, anyone, for the Atlanta Public Schools test-cheating trial? No thanks.
Dozens of prospective jurors were excused this past week because the trial’s expected length of at least three months is producing unbearable hardships for many summoned to serve.
One woman broke down when contemplating how she could stay on top of her job and keep up with her four children, including 5-year-old twins.
Intense pretrial publicity, including the nature of the charges, has also evoked strong feelings from many potential jurors who said they could not fairly and impartially pass judgment on the accused.
The trial began on Aug. 11, but the tedious pace of jury selection is expected to delay individual questioning of qualified jurors until after Labor Day. And there’s no telling when opening arguments will begin.
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