BOISE, Idaho — Day 2 of jury selection for the trial of Chad Daybell ended just after 1 pm. In total, just 4 jurors were advanced by Judge Boyce. Now, 20 of the 50 needed jurors have been selected for the trial. Once 50 potential jurors are advanced, the group will be pared down to just 18 jurors.
RECAP | Chad Daybell Jury Selection Day 1
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1:08 pm: Court is dismissed for the day while the judge and attorneys review juror questionnaires. 20 of the needed 50 jurors have been selected.
1:05 pm: The 4 passed jurors are now being brought back into the courtroom to be passed.
1:03 pm: The juror indicates that it would be challenging for them to be fair to Daybell. Batey moves to have the juror excused, which Boyce grants.
12:59 pm: The next juror indicates that they have difficulties looking at the graphic imagery that may come up concerning the trial stemming from some trauma they've experienced in the past.
12:58 pm: The juror advances with no objections as the 20th of the 50 needed jurors.
12:52 pm: The next juror enters the courtroom. They have no issues related to media coverage or hardship. They are now discussing their views on the death penalty.
12:50 pm: Wood motions to have the next juror excused based on opinions they have formed about the trial. The juror has not kept up with the case but indicates that they have seen media related to it. Boyce approves and the juror is dismissed.
12:42 pm: The juror pool totals at 19 now after Judge Boyce advances another juror, overruling a motion to excuse by Prior.
12:31 pm: Judge Boyce advances the juror, overruling a motion by Prior to have them excused for their media consumption and the opinions they may have formed about the case.
12:23 pm: The next juror indicates that they have had "a lot" of media exposure to the trial.
12:20 pm: Wixom moves to have the juror dismissed due to their views on the death penalty, but Judge Boyce overrules and advances the juror who will now be the 18th of 50 needed jurors.
12:14 pm: The juror indicates that they are strongly opposed to the death penalty, but they explain that they would be able to consider the death penalty if instructed to during the trial.
12:08 pm: Wixom questions the next juror about anxiety which they mentioned on the questionnaire. The juror believes that they could need breaks to process the materials due to the nature of the case.
12:02 pm: Another juror is excused due to their exposure to media related to the trial.
11:58 am: Batey moves to excuse the juror for their exposure to the media, Prior agrees and briefly questions them before agreeing to have the juror dismissed which Judge Boyce grants.
11:54 am: The second juror enters the courtroom to be questioned. They indicate that they have consumed documentaries and news stories related to the trial, but that they would be able to compartmentalize their views about the case.
11:47 am: Prior moves to dismiss the first juror from the case because he will be unable to work online during the trial. Boyce overrules the request and begins to discuss the death penalty, gauging the juror's stance. The juror is advanced by Judge Boyce as the 17th of 50 needed jurors.
11:37 am: Prior finishes his questioning and Judge Boyce directs jurors to leave the courtroom so that the individual voir dire process can continue.
11:31 am: Prior explains what a legal agreement is to the jurors using a fishing analogy. Blake stops Prior's questioning and the attorneys go into chambers with Judge Boyce to discuss. When they return, Judge Boyce explains that he disfavors the hypothetical and urges Prior to avoid using them.
11:11 am: The courtroom session resumes with Prior questioning the jurors. One of the jurors indicates that they know one of the involved attorneys, Ingrid Batey. Prior asks if this could impact how the juror views information presented by this attorney, the juror replies that it could and they view Batey as a very good investigator.
10:46 am: A juror with kidney stone issues asks for a bathroom break, and Judge Boyce grants it.
10:43 am: John Prior, Daybell's attorney, now questions the group of potential jurors. He stresses that there are no wrong or right answers to the questions he will be asking.
10:37 am: Blake continues her explanation of the courtroom proceedings to the group of potential jurors, using the analogy of an airplane to emphasize that she needs the jurors to "land the plane" and follow instructions closely to deliver their verdict.
10:29 am: Lindsey Blake, an attorney with the State, now questions the jurors and emphasizes the term "brutal honesty."
10:26 am: Jurors are asked if they believe they have developed an unqualified opinion on the case, one of the jurors indicates that they have.
10:18 am: A final juror is dismissed for medical hardship before questioning begins. Out of the 14 potential jurors in the group, just 8 remain as Judge Boyce begins to question the group about their knowledge of the trial.
10:08 am: Another juror is dismissed due to medical appointments conflicting with the trial schedule.
10:07 am: Judge Boyce dismisses another juror who needs the flexibility to travel for work.
10:02 am: Another juror is dismissed due to unavailability from being a full-time student.
9:57 am: Two jurors are dismissed due to work scheduling conflicts.
9:56 am: Judge Boyce asks the group of jurors if the 8-10 week trial duration will cause hardship, several jurors indicate that it could.
9:50 am: Judge Boyce explains the voir dire process, the preliminary individual examination of jurors by a judge or counsel. This process began yesterday with 2 groups of 16 jurors, of which half were approved.
9:46 am: Judge Boyce reads the charges facing Chad Daybell, including 3 counts of first-degree murder and 3 counts of conspiracy to commit murder, as well as grand theft and insurance fraud.
9:30 am: Judge Steven Boyce opens day 2 of jury selection with an apology for a late start, explaining that 14 of the 16 jurors are present and they are waiting on the others.
