This is my first post although I've been following this trial since the beginning.
I think the jury will be out for at least 2-3 weeks, perhaps a month or more based on my own experience serving on a jury.
This case I served on (not famous, years ago) was far less complex with much less evidence, had only 1 defendant and we listened to only 3 1/2 days of testimony/evidence before deliberating, - it took us most of a day to reach a verdict. Everyone on the jury I served on took it very seriously and we wanted to take our time to do it properly. In our case, we took two polls over the verdict and discussed why we felt the way we did. (We were mostly in agreement but wanted to be sure we carefully considered the evidence.) It's a huge responsibility and exhausting to sit in court listening intently for several days. (I realize the entire process has been much, much harder for the Bosma family and their friends.) The judge has given several possible verdicts and there are 2 defendants and a huge amount of evidence that may be cited so it's naive IMHO to expect a quick verdict although we all want to see justice done for Tim.
In IMHO, the difficulty will be with Smich's verdict as there is far more evidence for Millard. I think Millard will get definitely get 1st degree murder, Smich 1st or 2nd degree murder (I'd vote for 1st myself based on his interest & messages about the incinerator and I feel he tailored his testimony to the evidence.) I realize it is upsetting hearing about the evidence that is excluded but the judges want to reduce the chance of a mistrial or appeal.
BTW, the jury is mostly alone when deliberating. The matron will check in on them (bring them lunch and dinner) and will ask them late afternoon/evening if they are close to a verdict so that they know if they can make arrangements if there is a need to go to a hotel overnight. (In the trial I served on, we reached a verdict and we not sequestered overnight) although we were told to bring a bag with a change of clothing that last day of testimony/closing arguments.The same was true with my husband's jury (he was not sequestered overnight either - in our case, we told each other that we'd phone after we were released from the jury after reaching a verdict, otherwise to assume that we were sequestered. as you aren't allowed to call family.) In this case, I'm sure the jurors were prepared with suitcases as the end of the trial approached. (For lengthy trials like this, jurors are asked if the projected length will cause a hardship for them financially and excused if it will. According to a lawyers in my family, long trails tend to have a greater proportion of people who are retired, homemakers, students and govt employees because most others are excused for long trials. )
In Canada, we aren't asked questions when we are selected - the process when I was selected (over 20 years ago) was that the jury panel (about 100 people or so) would be called down to a courtroom and the court clerk would pull names out of drum. When your name was called, you'd stand up and go to the front of the court and your occupation would be stated (which you'd put on the form earlier). The judge would then say "juror look upon the accused, accused look upon the juror" and then the crown and defense would say "accept" (you'd take your place on the jury), or "challenge" (you'd be told to sit down as you were not chosen) or (if I'd remember correctly "pass", which means you'd go into a pool to be reconsidered.). The crown and defense were allowed only so many "challenges" and "pass".. On my panel, we had the theory that if you didn't meet the accused's eyes, you would not be chosen. I don't know if it's true but in my case, it did happened that way.I was not chosen for 1 case (child sexual abuse), was passed over for the second case (rape/sexual abuse). The second case had a new panel chosen because one of the chosen jurors' child had dated the defense attorney's assistant but did not say anything until later. When I was selected (I did look at the accused more directly the second time I was asked), I did ask if the doctor testifying would be Dr. X (my then family doctor) as she was at the time on a rape crisis team at a hospital in my city. (I was told "no". The matron told me that I was correct in asking as my then family doctor often testified - the testifying doctor in this case was from another hospital on the other side of the city who I did not know.)
I spent 2 weeks on jury duty - the first week in the panel room (I wasn't selected until the second week.) It was extremely dull, many people bought reading or knitting - I understand some of the courthouses now have videos to watch to pass the time waiting to be called down. The second week I was chosen Monday afternoon. My husband was chosen immediately for the trial he served on - but it was during the summer, the panel was excused for the second week as there were fewer trials that summer.
I do remember the first day, a court official telling our panel that our deliberations were to remain secret and there would be "none of that OJ Simpson nonsense" (jurors talking to the media like they do in the US.)
Hope this answers some questions people have had about juries.
All in MOO, if anyone else has served on a jury more recently, they may be aware of changes I'm not.
