GUILTY NC - Laura Ackerson, 27, Kinston, 13 July 2011 #4

[SurfieTX]

Juror No. 1: Female. Exercises with a family law attorney. Parents got divorced when she lived in the Bahamas when she was 5.....and her mother lived in Scotland. She went to boarding school in England when she was 11. At 16 she moved to NC.
Juror No. 2: Male. Worked at a store Grant visited after the murder.
Juror No. 3: ? Bruins fan.
Juror No. 4: Black female.
Juror No. 5: No info.
Juror No. 6: Male. Redskins and Hurricane fan.
Juror No. 7: Male. States he was a witness for his ex-wife's husband in a custody case.
Juror No. 8: No info.
Juror No. 9: Female. Has has a daughter who is friends with a violent crime victim.
Juror No. 10: No info.
Juror No. 11: Female. Read stories about Grant's case but mis-remembered some of the details.
Juror No. 12: (Dismissed for now by State). Replacement Juror No. 12 stays. Middle-aged white female.

 

[SurfieTX]

Defense is up now for peremptory challenges.

 

[SurfieTX]

I guess no challenges?

The racial and gender diversity in the 11 replacements brought in far outweighs the 12 in the box. #ackerson

https://twitter.com/WolfeReports

 

[Chelly]

Wish Wes would tweet more

 

[Madeleine74]

Hi all,

Who is the judge for this one? (Stephens?). I sure hope he doesn't retire in the next year or so. The superior court still needs him.

 

[borndem]

Partial post by SurfieTX:

Juror No. 1: Female. Exercises with a family law attorney. Parents got divorced when she lived in the Bahamas when she was 5.....and her mother lived in Scotland. She went to boarding school in England when she was 11. At 16 she moved to NC.
Juror No. 2: Male. Worked at a store Grant visited after the murder.
Juror No. 3: ? Bruins fan.
.
.
.

Wow, Surfie -- Thanks so much for all that work to get us the list of the 12 jurors! Great work and a fine reference for the Gang!

 

[SurfieTX]

Thank you! My pleasure. Hopefully, we can maybe get a new thread for when the actual trial starts and it can be posted in the first post for easy reference.

 

[Chelly]

This is excruciating.
Miss WAT

 

[borndem]

Hi all,

Who is the judge for this one? (Stephens?). I sure hope he doesn't retire in the next year or so. The superior court still needs him.

:seeya: Good to hear from you, Mad74!

Stephens has been the one in this courtroom so far, so looks like he'll stick around for this one. I guess since he was in on the GH trial and has presided at the hearings on this case, he may have figured he needed to do it. Great news!

My friend, a retired Wake Co. Dist. Court Judge, said -- a year or so ago -- that Judge Stephens said he would stick around until everyone got settled in the new building.... Well, they're all there, I think! So, what does that say about that fine, fine gentleman?

And yes, Mad74, we need him. He will leave BIG footprints when he does take his robe off for the last time.

Are you planning to follow this case? Hope so -- a lot of familiar faces are already getting ready to sit and increase our body sizes.... So grab a bag o' chips and join us!

 

[Madeleine74]

Yes I'll follow it, as I did the GH trial. Not to the level of JLY or BC, but then this one doesn't require that level. (lol) She'll be convicted for sure, it will just be a matter of what charge the jury goes for. She was involved; it's not like there's any question about that.

Sure hope Stephens sticks around until the BC & JLY cases are resolved, if either or both end up back at trial. Although chances are they could end up pleading out for 2nd degree if push comes to shove.

 

[Nymeria]

I am a tad bit jealous of juror 1 already!
Sounds like she has had a pretty well traveled life (has lived in Bahamas, possibly Scotland , England, NC).
ACK! I hope she doesn't "identify" with AH, who also sounds like she was quite a traveler/mover.

 

[jellybeanz]

They fairly rattled through proceedings today then! Thanks all for the updates. :loveyou:

 

[geevee]

I was looking for an update from today's proceedings (couldn't find one) but did find this story from yesterday, with some interesting repartee between Judge Stephens and AH:

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9401682

 

[SurfieTX]

Wes Wolfe ‏@WolfeReports 13h
...and will start with Juror No. 7 Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. Follow @BCHanks for Thursday's action. I return Friday. #ackerson

Wes Wolfe ‏@WolfeReports 13h
Justice Center's wifi got wonky again and I was cut off at the end. Defense worked through Jurors No. 1-6 in group intvw... #ackerson
Expand

Twitter link for Thursday: https://twitter.com/BCHanks

 

[SurfieTX]

Summary of jurors by Wes Wolfe in the Free Press of Kinston/Kinston.com

In all, two white females replaced two other white females, a black female replaced a black female and a white female replaced a white male. The racial and gender construction of the panel stands at six white females, four white males and two black females.

~~

Amanda Hayes’ attorney Johnny Gaskins opened up his questioning of the jurors by asking if they knew what a sociopath was, then applying that word to the behavior of Grant Hayes. Jurors questioned said they had a general idea of the word’s definition, but nothing specific.

Also, while going through Jurors 1-6, Gaskins asked if they’d seen the films “The Talented Mr. Ripley” or “The Stepford Wives.”

~~

While it’s possible jury selection will wrap up today, Stephens instructed court employees to prepare for the process to continue into Friday.

http://www.kinston.com/news/local/four-potential-jurors-replaced-in-hayes-trial-1.266386?tc=cr

 

[ohoh]

Thank you everyone, for posting such "good stuff" to ease me thru the jury selection. Guess the stepford wives comment shows the path we may be on. I think that may be a dollar store defense item, will not throw any quarters at that package. Am so ready, thinking maybe this will start on Monday. Bring it on !!! Justice for Laura....finally, part 2 begins.
Maybe I will need a padded football helmet - to stop head banging injuries when all the lies begin !

 

[Cherry]

Hi Peeps! Does anyone think that Opening Statements will begin this afternoon?

 

[SurfieTX]

Here's today's twitterer as Wes W. is not in court today. This is another reporter for Kinston Free Press.

https://twitter.com/BCHanks

 

[SurfieTX]

Here we go....

In Courtroom 704 of the Wake County Justice Center for Day 3 of Amanda Hayes murder trial. She's been seated at defendant's table ...

 

[Jewels53]

Hi Peeps! Does anyone think that Opening Statements will begin this afternoon?

Morning Cherry, I think it will be Monday. That is my take by reading the article above.