Sniper trial jury pool questiones on death penalty ( 2003-10-16 04:51) (Reuters)
Potential jurors in the murder trial of accused sniper John Muhammad faced
questions on Wednesday about whether they could impose the death penalty in
connection with a 2002 shooting spree that killed 10 people in the Washington
area.
In the second day of trial in this southern resort city, the 42-year-old
Muhammad sat nearly motionless at the defense table as his attorneys asked local
residents if they could be fair in passing sentence if he is convicted.
"I think killing is wrong, no matter who does it," said one member of the
jury pool when asked if she believed in capital punishment.
But when asked if she could impose the death penalty, she replied, "Sir, I do
have to follow the law of the land."
Muhammad is charged with two counts of capital murder, including one count
citing Virginia's new anti-terrorism law, created after the Sept. 11, 2001,
attacks. Both these counts carry a possible death sentence.
He is also charged with conspiracy and a firearms violation in connection
with the killing of a 53-year-old Maryland man who was shot dead as he refueled
his car in Manassas, in Washington's Virginia suburbs.
Muhammad has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
His young traveling companion, Lee Malvo, 18, is set to go on trial in nearby
Chesapeake, Virginia, next month on a separate murder charge in another sniper
killing. Both trials were moved from their original jurisdictions in the
Washington suburbs to southern Virginia.
In Muhammad's trial, another potential juror said she was frightened during
the three-week series of sniper killings that terrorized the Washington area in
October 2002, and that at the time she blamed Muhammad.
"I thought he was guilty of the crime," she said.
Prosecutor Paul Ebert asked" "I think I could," she replied.
She said she would rather not impose the death sentence, telling Ebert"
However, she told defense attorney Jonathan Shapiro she would do her duty if
called to serve on the panel. The only other possible sentence is life in prison
without parole.
Ebert moved to bar her from the jury on grounds she could not impose the
death penalty, but Judge LeRoy Millette denied the motion, and she was kept in
the jury pool.
The prospective jury, known only by numbers to keep their identities secret,
is being winnowed down from an initial pool of about 120 to a smaller pool of
27.
Of those 27, the defense and prosecution each may dismiss six candidates
without specific cause, bringing the final panel to 12 jurors and three
alternates.
Opening arguments could come as early as Thursday.
