Judge’s Instructions to Members of the Jury

Judge Melville has warned the selected jurors that they should avoid paying attention to media controversies and discussions about the court proceedings. He said that discussing this case is considered disrespect toward the court and carries punishment.

In the court sessions held on January 31 and February 1, 2005, 250 people were selected, and ultimately 20 of them will be chosen as the final jury members. Of those 20, 8 are alternate members.

Most of these 250 people are white. One third of them are Latino, and only 5 of them are Black.

Judge Melville has instructed 113 of these individuals to attend the third court session, which will be held on February 14 (26 Bahman). On that day, their defense attorneys will question them in a Q&A format, to learn about their level of knowledge regarding this case and any possible bias they may have about it.

The selection of the final jury members may take several weeks.

Source: Santa Maria Times