6:00 PM: The court moved efficiently through 18 jurors today. They’re making quicker work of striking people for cause and even releasing those people early. As has been typical, a lot of the people coming in of various races, genders, and ages, say that they believe the defendants are guilty already and their opinions would be hard to change at trial.
Five people from Friday’s panel were qualified for the pool, plus three from the panel of Day 1. They are Jurors 274, 276, 281, 282, and 291 from Panel 7; and Jurors 773, 4, and 5 from Panel 1. That’s a total of 55 of the needed 64. One of them, Juror #5, was qualified based on her answers, but the defense argued strongly to strike her. When Judge Walmsley denied their motion, defense attorneys Kevin Gough and Laura Hogue pivoted to point out that as the mother of a young child whose child care wraps up at a certain hour each day, if court goes long one day or her child gets sick in the middle of a trial day, it could create all kinds of hardship so it’s better to boot her now.
Juror #5 said that Roddie Bryan’s decision to video the fatal chase of Ahmaud Arbery was “disgusting” and “vicious.” Gough says her “body language” combined with her words make her reaction to Bryan “stand out.” Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski argued that the juror’s statements in her questionnaire were neutral. The judge agreed with that and says she’s qualified, but also agreed to take the daycare issue under advisement, although he says the Court doesn’t think that’s enough of a basis to strike her. He told Gough if he can find some law on it, he’ll take a listen.
9:00 AM: Judge Walmsley took the bench a few minutes before 9:00 this morning. He greeted the jurors, swore them, in, asked the statutory questions, and prosecutor Linda Dunikoski began the State’s part of the panel voir dire. Travis McMichael attorney Jason Sheffield did the panel voir dire for the defense.