Faith Hedgepeth murder trial stalls over alternate juror selection in Durham

Jury selection in the Miguel Salguero Olivares murder trial has dragged on since Monday as courts struggle to fill two remaining alternate juror seats.

Alternate juror search delays opening statements in Hedgepeth case

Jury selection in the murder trial of Miguel Salguero Olivares stretched into Tuesday in Durham, North Carolina, as prosecutors and defence attorneys continued to struggle filling the remaining alternate juror seats, abc11.com reports.

The 12-member jury has already been seated and one alternate has been chosen, but two further alternate positions must be filled before opening statements can begin. The drawn-out process has been under way since before noon on Monday.

Several potential jurors were dismissed Tuesday morning after questioning by both sides. Attorneys focused on whether prospective alternates could remain fair and impartial given the years of extensive media coverage the case has attracted.

Faith Hedgepeth's parents, sister and niece were seated in the second row of the gallery, with extended family members positioned directly behind them as proceedings continued.

The lengthy selection process prompted a moment of levity from the bench. As attorneys failed to agree on a candidate for the second alternate seat, the judge suggested — in jest — that they might move on to selecting the third alternate juror instead, to see if they had better luck there.

ABC11 reporter Akilah Davis is covering the trial from inside the courtroom.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)