LIVE UPDATES | Day 3 of jury selection underway in Chad Daybell case - East Idaho News
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LIVE UPDATES | Day 3 of jury selection underway in Chad Daybell case

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LIVE UPDATES FROM THE CHAD DAYBELL TRIAL

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6:01 p.m. Judge gives instructions to jurors not to do any research on the case. Court is adjourned. Join me in 30 minutes for “Courtroom Insider.” I’ll break down all the details and speak with Nancy Grace about the case.

5:58 p.m. The two jurors who spoke with the judge in private made it through to the pool so we actually have 37 jurors. We need 13 tomorrow and we will hit 50.

5:55 p.m. State and defense have no questions for the juror. She advances. That gets us to 35 jurors (unless the other two who discussed things in private made it). The ones who made it through will walk in shortly and then court will be adjourned until tomorrow.

5:52 p.m. Final juror enters the courtroom. No questions about hardship or bias. Boyce jumps straight to death penalty questions.

5:48 p.m. Prior and prosecutors have no questions for the lady. She advances. I believe she is juror #34 (unless the other two advanced. Will know shortly).

5:45 p.m. Juror is in the courtroom. Wixom asking the lady questions and she says the trial must be done by July 15 because she’s going to Europe. Prior has no questions. Boyce discussing death penalty with the juror.

5:43 p.m. We are back in the courtroom. There are two jurors left to be questioned. Unsure if the two done in private passed through but will check when hearing is over.

5:19 p.m. These are some issues the man wants to talk about in private. Boyce calls for a sidebar with attorneys. The live broadcast will be halted and those of us in the courtroom will have to leave. Be back on when proceedings resume.

5:16 p.m. Wood has a few questions for the juror. He noted on his questionnaire that he’s a diehard football fan and he has tickets to the NFL draft. He has made peace that he may not get to go if chosen for the jury.

5:15 p.m. New juror comes in. He has heard about Lori going to Arizona for a second trial. He doesn’t know all the details but that’s what he heard on the news.

5:13 p.m. Batey has no questions for the man, neither does Prior. He advances to the pool. He is juror #33.

5:09 p.m. Prior done questioning. Next issue is the death penalty. The man supports the death penalty and says he would follow instructions and facts the court provides.

5:06 p.m. Prior asks the man about a response he wrote concerning police officers. He says in other states, he has seen them turning off videos and recordings. The juror says he has not had a bad experience with police in Idaho.

5:03 p.m. Batey asks the man if he’s comfortable following the court’s instructions. He says he is completely behind it and believes in innocence until proven guilty.

4:59 p.m. New juror comes in and takes his seat. He was originally worried about not having enough PTO but found out his job will pay him for the entire trial. Batey questioning the juror about a hearing issue. He says it shouldn’t be an issue if the volume can be turned up.

4:57 p.m. Wixom concludes questioning, Prior has no questions. Boyce has nothing further and the woman passes. She is #32. We need 18 more.

4:52 p.m. Juror says she opposes the death penalty “at a base level” but also recognizes that it’s legal. She is willing to follow the instructions of the court on the matter. Wixom asks if there are any ethical obligations in her profession in regards to the death penalty. She says no.

4:50 p.m. Wixom has no further questions, Prior has no questions. Now the discussion turns to death penalty.

4:46 p.m. The woman has people who can watch her kids and she feels they would be ok. The woman is a psychologist. Rocky Wixom asking about her background. She says her field is relatively subjective.

4:42 p.m. New juror is in the courtroom. She noted concerns about childcare and a longterm training she is involved in. Boyce asks her to elaborate. If she doesn’t do the training now, she would have to wait for a year. She says that won’t impact her impartiality in the trial. She is concerned about being sequestered as she has her kids 85% of the time.

4:40 p.m. Wood asking the juror questions about the death penalty. She commits to following the law and instructions that Boyce gives. Prior has no questions. The woman advances. She is juror #31.

4:38 p.m. The woman says she can see both sides of the death penalty but is generally opposed. She does not believe it should automatically be considered in every case where a murder has been committed.

4:36 p.m. Wood asks the woman a few questions. Prior has none. Death penalty now being discussed.

4:33 p.m. The next juror takes a seat and she has a family vacation that is paid for in early May. Wood asks the woman about headlines the lady saw on social media and the newspaper. She has not followed the case closely.

4:29 p.m. The woman says she can keep an open mind and would listen to the judge’s instructions. Batey objects to having the woman released. Prior asks for further questioning. He finishes his questions and Boyce clarifies with the woman whether she will follow the instructions given to her by the court. She says she would. He overrules the challenge and the woman advances. She is juror #30.

4:25 p.m. Batey has no further questions for the woman. Prior now questioning her. After a few questions about the death penalty, he moves to have the woman removed from the jury pool. Batey follows up with questions.

4:23 p.m. The woman, who is elderly, says she will follow the judge’s instructions and says she has never broken the law. She laughs and so do the attorneys.

4:21 p.m. The juror supports the death penalty and says if the state laws allow it, then there’s no question. The woman says she will follow the court’s instructions when it comes to the death penalty issue.

4:17 p.m. Next juror comes in. Boyce asks the woman about her attitudes concerning the death penalty.

4:10 p.m. Prior has no further questions. Wixom moves to dismiss the juror for cause based on her media consumption, Prior agrees. Boyce excuses the juror.

4:08 p.m. Wixom asks a few questions about the woman’s knowledge of the case. Prior now asking questions.

4:04 p.m. New juror takes her seat. She has followed some of the case in the media. She watched the verdict when it was televised but no other parts of the case. Rocky Wixom asking her questions on behalf of the state.

4 p.m. The juror says she didn’t follow the case enough to know what was left out or what was included in media coverage. Wood moves to have the juror removed because she has consumed a lot of media. Prior agrees. Boyce grants the request and the juror is dismissed.

3:57 p.m. The woman says she looked at East Idaho News summaries of the Lori Vallow trial because her husband is from eastern Idaho. Rob Wood responds, “There was a lot of media.” The woman says she has also seen ‘Dateline’ and the Netflix doc.

3:54 p.m. The juror wrote on the questionnaire that she felt Chad Daybell might be involved in some way. She has seen stories on the news and seen Chad and Lori together on video. She doesn’t know about their involvement in all the pieces of the case.

3:51 p.m. Individual voir dire begins with a female juror. She was the no-show from yesterday. She says she misunderstood the instructions and thought she had to call in. She says she is a dependable person who can be counted on during the trial.

3:48 p.m. Back in the courtroom. There are six people left in the gallery – Vicki Hoban, the victim advocate, the couple who brought me candy, me and a Court TV producer.

3:25 p.m. Time for afternoon recess. Back in 15-20 minutes.

3:25 p.m. Prosecutors and defense agree to strike the juror. The man is dismissed.

3:21 p.m. The juror says he understands now that he was not supposed to watch jury selection. Boyce thanks the man for his honesty. He says it would not happen again.

3:20 p.m. The juror who stayed behind is being asked by Boyce about watching jury selection. He says he wanted to know what kind of questions would be asked. Boyce tells him that he was advised not to watch. The man says he didn’t think about it at the time.

3:18 p.m. Prior is done questioning and individual voir dire will begin after an afternoon recess but Boyce has a few questions for one of the jurors.

3:14 p.m. Like he did this morning, Prior references the line from a country song “Not everything that glitters is gold.” He asks the jurors what this means to them.

3:11 p.m. Prior chatting with jurors about making the best decision based on the information presented in court – not from outside influences.

3:05 p.m. Prior talking about the media sensationalizing things and the graphic photos that will be shown during the trial. “These photos are going to hurt your heart and they’re going to hurt you heart a lot. These pictures hurt my heart,” he says.

3:03 p.m. One elderly lady says she can sit for a couple hours. Another juror says she gets really restless and she is on medication. The meds don’t affect her ability to think but it makes her legs jumpy. She says she could be able to do this for 8-10 weeks.

3:02 p.m. Prior mentions that we will be seating for a long period of time. He asks the group if any of them have problems sitting for long periods of time. Two ladies raise their hands.

2:59 p.m. Prior asks if the jury understands that Chad Daybell does not have to testify to prove his innocence. They all nod their heads.

2:57 p.m. Prior says questioning isn’t meant to embarrass the jurors or make them feel uncomfortable. He says all of them would be great jurors in a lot of cases but every case is different.

2:55 p.m. Blake is done questioning. Prior will now question the jurors.

2:52 p.m. Blake tells the jurors they may hear testimony about things Lori Vallow and Alex Cox did. She discusses what conspiracy is and asks the jurors is any of them have concerns. None do.

2:48 p.m. Blake switching up her analogies this afternoon. Instead of the cheesy eggs, she is talking about following the exact instructions when making a cup of coffee in the morning. She stresses the importance of following instructions from the judge even if jurors think they know better.

2:45 p.m. Blake mentions the airplane analogy. Prosecutors have used this with every group of jurors so far and she stresses the importance of landing the plane.

2:42 p.m. Blake mentions that in this case, graphic photos will be shown as we have two murdered children and a murdered mother. She asks if any of the jurors will have a problem with that. One juror says she would. When Blake asks for her to elaborate, the woman says she would rather not say. Blake motions to have the juror removed. Prior agrees. Boyce lets the lady go.

2:40 p.m. Lindsey Blake now addressing the jurors. She mentions the importance of being brutally honest. She talks about her niece not having a filter when she was younger and she was completely honest with Blake.

2:35 p.m. Boyce tells the jurors this case deals with murder, conspiracy and insurance fraud. He asks if any of them would not be able to render a fair verdict based on the charges. None of them raise their red cards.

2:34 p.m. Boyce asks the remaining 12 jurors if they have any knowledge of the case obtained through media. Four raise their red cards.

2:32 p.m. Next juror has been running a camp for 23 years and would have to miss it if picked for jury duty. Prosecutors motion to remove the juror, defense concurs. Boyce grants the motion and the woman is dismissed.

2:31 p.m. Everyone back in their seats and the juror is released due to hardship. Details were not disclosed.

2:27 p.m. Boyce asks for a quick sidebar with the juror and attorneys off the record. They go in the back hallway.

2:24 p.m. Another juror has parents with severe dementia. She checks on them daily and takes them to medical appointments often. She also has kids in elementary school and serving on a jury would be a challenge to find childcare, rescheduling appointments, etc. State moves to have the juror dismissed, Prior agrees. Boyce excuses her.

2:22 p.m. Another juror is a single mom and her work will only pay for ten days of jury selection. She has no other source of income. State motions to strike the juror for hardship, defense agrees. Boyce lets her go.

2:20 p.m. First juror owns a business. If he serves on a jury, he would lose contracts and have no source of income. Prosecutors move to strike the juror for cause based on hardship. Defense agrees. Boyce dismisses the man.

2:18 p.m. This trial will take 8-10 weeks. Boyce asks the jury panel if this will create a hardship on their families, businesses or occupation. Around five raise their red cards.

2:16 p.m. Prior asks to approach with the prosecutors. The attorneys huddle in the corner and white noise is played in the courtroom.

2:13 p.m. Boyce explains instructions to jurors including the special instruction that they shouldn’t consider Lori Vallow’s case in relation to this one.

2:07 p.m. Boyce reads the charges and tells jurors Daybell has pleaded not guilty. He tells the jury that he never needs to prove his innocence; rather, the state must prove Daybell’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

2:06 p.m. Boyce introduces the prosecutors and John Prior. Chad Daybell stares straight ahead but occasionally looks over at the jury.

2:03 p.m. Boyce introduces himself, the court staff, court reporter, his staff attorney and the marshals.

2 p.m. The juror seating on the front row needs to be rearranged. The potential jurors are moving to their new seats. This is to help keep their numbers in order.

1:59 p.m. The new group has been seated. 12 women, 5 men.

1:57 p.m. Boyce says there will be a delay bringing the jurors in. Doesn’t explain why.

1:54 p.m. A juror who did not show up yesterday will be part of this next group so 17 will be brought in.

1:50 p.m. Judge Boyce is on the bench. He is addressing the gag order issued last week and is reminding reporters that attorneys can not speak with them. Read more about it here.

1:42 p.m. The prosecutors are here and Chad Daybell is sitting next to John Prior. Waiting on Judge Boyce and the jurors to be brought in.

1:40 p.m. Back in the courtroom. A very kind couple brought me a bag of Smarties and Hot Tamales – my favs! Should help keep me awake this afternoon. Thank you, Linda and Ken!

12:53 p.m. Next group is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Lunch break until then.

12:51 p.m. The group is passed for cause. They are released for the day and will return once that number of 50 is hit.

12:49 p.m. Nine jurors in this group of 17 advance to the pool. They will be brought back in. A total of 50 are needed before the defense and prosecutor can begin preemptory challenges. We are at 29.

12:47 p.m. The man was aware JJ had special needs and described him as “sweet natured.” The juror recalls hearing JJ’s grandfather say that. The juror also wrote that Chad Daybell had a “trail of death.” Batey moves to excuse the juror for case. Prior stipulates. Boyce grants the request and the man is dismissed.

12:45 p.m. Next juror walks in. He says he has some general knowledge on the case. He had Court TV at one point and followed their reporting but he hasn’t formed an opinion. He hasn’t followed the case for a few years. Ingrid Batey questioning the juror on behalf of the state.

12:40 p.m. Wixom has one question for the man. Prior now questioning him about the death penalty. Nobody opposes the juror and he advances. He is number 29. There is one more juror in this group.

12:39 p.m. The juror supports the death penalty if someone is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He does not believe it should be applied in every case where a murder has been committed.

12:35 p.m. Next juror is in the courtroom. Wixom asks the man about an answer on his questionnaire. He wrote that he felt a defendant should have to testify but the man says he inadvertently marked the wrong answer. He does not believe that. The man does not watch the media and is not on social media.

12:32 p.m. Wood moves to excuse the juror for cause based on bias. Prior concurs and so does Boyce. The juror is stricken from the group.

12:30 p.m. Wood asks the man if he would be able to put out of his mind what he has heard about the case. He said he would have to set it aside and bring his A game. The man says what he has heard in the media will be in the back of his mind.

12:28 p.m. “Something happened to those children. Who or what did it – I don’t know. Just whatever’s been reported,” the man says. When Boyce asks what the man’s opinion is, he says he honestly does not know. He says he can’t make a judgment right now. Boyce asks if he’s leaning one way or another, the juror says leaning toward guilt.

12:25 p.m. The man is familiar with the case based on what he has seen in the media. His wife watches the news and he’s heard the story. He’s also read about it online. He wrote on his questionnaire that he has possibly formed an opinion because some of the victims were children.

12:22 p.m. Prosecutors have no questions for the woman about the death penalty, Prior asking her a few. The woman’s husband served in the military and she talks about serving on the jury as her civic duty. Nobody opposes this juror. She advances and is number 28. Next juror about to be brought in.

12:20 p.m. Woman now being asked about her views on the death penalty. She says will follow instructions the court provides on the issue. She is neutral on the death penalty.

12:17 p.m. Batey has no further questions. Prior now questioning her and asks if she has made a decision one way or another. She says no. He asks her to read a line from her questionnaire: “I believe strongly in the due process of law.”

12:15 p.m. Ingrid Batey questioning the next juror. The woman indicated on her questionnaire that she watched documentaries about the case. She has heard snippets of the case here and there. Not much more. Batey asks the woman if she can put aside what she’s heard on the news and render an impartial verdict. She says absolutely.

12:14 p.m. Attorneys return to their seats, the man advances. He is number 27. Next juror about to be brought in.

12:13 p.m. Boyce was getting ready to advance the juror but Wixom pointed out there is another issue with the juror that was overlooked. Prior immediately asks if the attorneys can have a sidebar with the judge. They are huddled in the front of the courtroom as white noise is played.

12:08 p.m. Wixom asks the man some follow up questions about the death penalty. The juror commits to following instructions given to him by the judge. Prior asking some yes/no questions about the death penalty. Nobody objects to this juror.

12:06 p.m. The man supports the death penalty. When asked if the death penalty should be imposed in every murder case, he says he does not know but would follow instructions given to him by the court.

12:03 p.m. Next juror walks in. Wixom questions the man about a job he just started. He was originally concerned but spoke to HR and he’s fine to serve on the jury. Prior has no questions about hardship. He’s now being asked about death penalty.

11:58 a.m. Death penalty issue now being discussed. The juror supports the death penalty but doesn’t believe it should be used in every murder case. Prosecutors have no questions, Prior has some. Nobody objects to the juror, she advances and we have 26 in the pool.

11:55 a.m. Wood has no further questions. Prior clarifies the juror’s media exposure and asks if she has viewed East Idaho News. She says it would have been whatever was local.

11:53 a.m. Next juror is in the courtroom. Rob Wood is questioning her. She says she heard on the news when the children were found and when Lori was convicted. She has not sought out the news about the case – it just happened to be on. The woman says she will be able to put Lori Vallow’s conviction out of her mind and not hold it against Chad.

11:52 a.m. No questions from either side on the death penalty. Boyce advances the juror and says he may have set the record on the quickest voir dire today. We are halfway there – 25 jurors in the pool.

11:48 a.m. Next juror walks in. No issues with him about hardship. Death penalty now the topic. The man generally favors it but would base the decision on the facts, law and instruction in the case.

11:43 a.m. Wixom asking the man more questions about his views on death penalty. Prior now asking questions on the same topic. No one opposes him and Boyce passes him onto the pool. We now have 24 in the pool.

11:40 a.m. Boyce talking with the man about his views on the death penalty. He says he is generally opposed to it but believes he can put aside his feelings and impose it if it’s called for. “No one should have to die but if the law says that is the punishment, that’s what should be done.”

11:37 a.m. Rocky Wixom asking the man about not getting paid for the last month of his service. The juror mentions his wife has a part time job and they wouldn’t be going hungry. The man says the media doesn’t necessarily report the facts and is selling screen time or newspapers.

11:34 a.m. Next juror walks in. He mentioned on his questionnaire that he might have a hardship with the trial length. His job will give him 10 days pay and then he would have to take paid time off. He would get paid for six weeks but would have four weeks without pay. He mentions he might be living on the streets after the trial if picked.

11:31 a.m. The juror believes death penalty should be reserved for the most extreme cases. Wood asking if she can follow the court instruction. Prior has no questions for the woman. She advances. We now have 23 in the pool.

11:28 a.m. She says if you’re wanting to be here, “that’s kind of sick.” “None of us want to be here,” she says. Boyce now discussing death penalty with the woman.

11:27 a.m. Woman commits to being fully engaged and listening to the witnesses if she’s picked as a juror. Her work will accommodate jury service. Prior now questioning the juror.

11:24 a.m. She says she doesn’t get into drama or news and realizes that probably makes her a good juror. She wrote she her “zero percent energy for this process.” She isn’t into sensational things or people who insert themselves into other people’s lives.

11:22 a.m. Next juror takes her seat. Rob Wood questioning her. She says she doesn’t know much about Chad Daybell and has not followed the case on the news. She said she doesn’t have a hardship but wrote on her form that “I wish I could say yes.”

11:21 a.m. Prior has no issues with the juror. He advances. We are up to 22!

11:16 a.m. The man supports the death penalty but would base the decision to impose it based on fact, law and instruction in the case. Prosecutors have a few questions for him about the death penalty but no objections to him serving on the jury. Prior now questioning him.

11:14 a.m. Next juror walks in. This is the man who has a trip on June 14. Ingrid Batey asks the man about media. He mentioned on his questionnaire that he had heard a little about the case on the news. He understands that nothing he has heard on the news is evidence and he has not formed any conclusions about Daybell’s guilt.

11:12 a.m. Prior has no further questions. The juror advances. We now have 21 in the pool. Boyce says we need 50.

11:09 a.m. State has no questions for the juror. Prior asking the man about death penalty. “If it’s an intentional murder and children are involved, is that an automatic death penalty?” Man responds: “No.”

11:07 a.m. Prosecutors and defense attorneys have no questions for the man about hardship. Now Boyce is talking to him about the death penalty. The juror supports the death penalty but would consider the facts, instructions, etc. before rendering a death penalty sentence.

11:05 a.m. Individual voir dire is about to begin. First juror here is a young man who didn’t show up yesterday. Boyce thanks him for coming today but asks why he didn’t show up yesterday. The man says he made an honest mistake. He used his phone as his alarm clock and his phone died so he woke up late.

11 a.m. We are back in the courtroom. Prosecutors asked for a sidebar with the judge. They are huddling on the side of the courtroom with John Prior while white noise is played.

10:34 a.m. Prior ends his questioning and thanks the jury pool. Individual voir dire will begin but we are now taking a morning recess for 20 minutes.

10:32 a.m. Prior talking about honesty and the importance of being honest. Juror talks about buying a used car recently and the dealership figured out a problem with the vehicle so he appreciates them being honest.

10:28 a.m. Prior asks that because the photos are graphic, does anyone automatically assume that Chad Daybell is guilty? Everyone nods their heads no.

10:27 a.m. Prior talks about the media and sensational pictures. He says the instinct is to react to them and feel a certain way. He asks if everyone agrees with that. Jurors nod their heads. Prior tells the group they are going to see very graphic pictures and “they’re going to hurt your heart. There is no way you are not going to have a reaction to these photos. It’s not possible if you have a heart.”

10:26 a.m. Prior asks if it’s ok to ever speculate. One juror says yes – she makes a lot of decisions without knowing all the information.

10:22 a.m. Two of the jurors are accountants and they are sitting next to each other. Prior says he’s dumbfounded they ended up next to each other and asks if they will be ok sitting next to each other. They nod. Prior says he’s trying to be funny.

10:19 a.m. Prior explains when you evaluate information, it’s important to evaluate whether there is really gold rather than just glitter. One juror explains that he takes it for you can’t judge a book by its cover. Side note for those watching: We can’t control the sound quality. Prior repeatedly steps away from the mic and it can be hard to hear him.

10:17 a.m. Prior says he loves country music and quotes a phrase from a song: “Everything that glitters is not gold.” He asks if everyone understands that phrase. A juror responds that in a physical world, a lot of things can glitter but they aren’t all gold.

10:15 a.m. Prior asks the group if they understand how it’s important not to judge someone because of their beliefs. They all say yes. He explains that we all have different beliefs – regardless of how unusual or unrealistic those beliefs are – and that you can’t judge a person if their beliefs are different. Jurors say they understand.

10:14 a.m. Chad Daybell has a yellow notebook in front of him but I haven’t seen him write anything on it this week. Big difference from Lori Vallow who was regularly writing notes or doodling.

10:12 a.m. Prior asks if the jurors understand that Chad doesn’t need to take the stand. They say yes. He asks if they understand that the defense doesn’t need to present any witnesses or evidence. They say yes.

10:10 a.m. Prior asks if any of the jurors just don’t want to be here. None of them raise their cards. He asks if any of them, having heard the charges, immediately thought Chad was guilty. One man says, “No.” Everyone says they agree.

10:07 a.m. Prior takes the podium and says this is an important case and a serious charge against Chad. He asks the jurors to answer the questions as best as they can. There are no wrong answers.

10:03 a.m. Blake asks if the any of the jurors are football fans. A few nod their heads. She asks about the Kansas City Chiefs and asks one juror if he believes everyone on the team should get a ring. He says absolutely. Blake mentions co-conspirators in the crimes and asks if anyone has concerns about holding one person accountable even if another person did the crime. None raise their cards. Blake completes questioning.

10:01 a.m. Blake talks about her child wanting cheesy eggs made a certain way. She tells them the judge will give them specific elements and ingredients that they must follow even if they think there’s a better or different way of doing things.

9:58 a.m. Blake brings up the airplane analogy – how everyone wants to fly with a pilot who knows what they are doing. She stresses the importance of the jury “landing the plane” in this case. “We want to make sure the jurors can commit to being impartial and rendering the verdict they feel is the correct verdict.”

9:54 a.m. Fremont County Prosecuting Attorney Lindsey Blake will conduct group voir dire on behalf of the state. She mentions “brutal honesty” and the importance of the jurors being brutally honest.

9:51 a.m. None of the jurors have or have had any legal dealings with the attorneys. None have any religious beliefs that would prohibit them from rendering a fair and impartial judgement.

9:49 a.m. There are 11 jurors remaining. Boyce asks if any of the jurors have heard anything about the case. None of them raise their cards. This is the first group where nobody has heard anything about this case.

9:46 a.m. Next juror says he has a vacation on June 15. Lindsey Blake asks if the trip is pre-planned and paid for. He says yes – he bought the cheap plane tickets and they are nonrefundable. Prior moves to dismiss the juror, Boyce overrules the request and the man stays.

9:44 a.m. Prosecutors have no questions for the woman. Prior mentions the woman and her husband have been inseparable for 41 years. She responds, “Absolutely.” She says it would be a significant distraction to be on the jury. Prior moves to have the woman dismissed. Boyce grants the dismissal.

9:41 a.m. The next juror says her hardship is her husband. He’s on a specific diet and she has to prepare his food. She says they don’t know anyone and her husband is always on call for work. He works all over the place and repairs power machines. She works hard to keep him healthy as he’s on a special diet and he can’t eat out.

9:40 a.m. Prosecutors move to dismiss the juror and Prior agrees. Boyce excuses him.

9:36 a.m. Next juror says he will not be paid if picked for the jury and would cost him $25,000 in income. He’s 63, single and this would impact his savings and retirement. He also has lupus and gets flare-ups with serious health complications. He worries the stress and anxiety of the case would impact his disease. He also has an elderly dog that has an enlarged heart and he needs to care for the animal.

9:33 a.m. Next juror just started a job and the person training him is leaving soon. He is compensated for only two weeks of jury service and he is the sole provider of four children and a wife. Prosecutor moves to dismiss the man, Prior agrees. Boyce excuses him.

9:31 a.m. Next juror is a full-time college student with one semester left. She can’t complete classes online and if she’s chosen to serve, she will lose the semester. Prosecutor moves to dismiss the juror, Prior agrees. Boyce lets her go.

9:28 a.m. Next juror says she works on a team of three and her coworker is having surgery. There are other personnel changes so the team will be very shorthanded if this juror is chosen. Prosecutor challenges the hardship but defense asks to have her excused. Boyce grants the request and excuses the juror.

9:26 a.m. First juror says he needs to work and doesn’t have any time off until the end of the summer. He works for a small business and it would be a financial hardship. Prosecutor moves to dismiss the juror, defense agrees, Boyce lets him go.

9:23 a.m. Judge reads instruction and asks the jurors if serving on the jury will create a hardship. Around 6 raise their red cards.

9:17 a.m. Vicki Hoban, Tammy Daybell’s aunt, is in the courtroom this morning with a victim’s advocate. There are around a dozen other people here – a few reporters and members of the public.

9:13 a.m. Judge reviews the charges with the jury and says Daybell has pleaded not guilty. He is charged with:
trial of chad daybell charges 2

9:10 a.m. Clerk is calling roll. We need 50 potential jurors in the pool before the defense and prosecutors will use peremptory strikes to get the number to 18 – 12 jurors and 6 alternates.

9:08 a.m. The potential jurors have taken their seats. There are 17 total – 11 men, 6 women. Normally there are groups of 16 but yesterday one was running very late so I imagine that person is part of this group.

9:05 a.m. We are in the courtroom for day 3 of jury selection in the Chad Daybell case. John Prior is seated next to Chad Daybell, who is wearing a checkered blue colored collared shirt. Prosecutors Rob Wood, Lindsey Blake, Ingrid Batey and Rocky Wixom are at their table.

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