LAWRENCE CO.—Here’s your newsblast for the morning session of Day 4 of jury selection in the murder trial of Tyler McQueen in Lawrenceville:
Lawrence County prosecutor Chris Quick
Disclosure NewsMagazine/DisclosureNewsOnline Thursday, April 25, 2013 news blast coverage of the murder trial of Tyler McQueen.
McQueen, 21, is charged with three counts of first degree murder in the March 24, 2012 stabbing death of 78-year-old Bob Westall in Westall’s sister’s apartment in United Methodist Village in Lawrenceville.
With only three alternate jurors to be selected, out of six questioned only one has been chosen.
This morning’s questioning was punctuated by one young woman sobbing uncontrollably even as she entered the courtroom and could barely speak once she got on the stand.
Judge Robert Hopkins asked if something had happened and she said no.
He asked if there was some kind of a personal problem and she said no.
And finally he asked if it was the nature of this case… being one of First Degree Murder, to which she shook her head and said, barely understandable through tears, yes.
Neither the defense nor the prosecution had any objections to the young woman being dismissed.
Then just before lunch break another woman, who was nearly through with questioning, broke down and began crying on the stand saying, “I don’t know if I can do this.”
She too was dismissed without objection.
In this very emotionally-charged case, of the six prospective alternate jurors, the state and defense both exercised their right to exempt one potential alternate, two were dismissed after crying on the stand and one man was excused after he said he didn’t feel he could be impartial.
Court is expected to resume at 1:20 as both sides struggle to pick the remaining two alternate jurors.
There have been some grumblings jury selection may run into tomorrow, but that is highly unlikely.
Unless selection runs into tomorrow, Judge Robert Hopkins is giving both sides Friday off for final preparations of their cases with opening arguments and testimony expected to begin Monday morning.
Keep checking here and on the website for the latest updates.