DADE CITY, Fla. — The third day of jury selection for the trial of Curtis Reeves moved at a slow pace, with no jurors seated on the 10-member panel.
Judge Susan Barthle and attorneys spent half the day finishing individual questioning about the publicity surrounding the case, while the other half was spent posing questions to the 52 jurors that remain.
Lawyers are diving deep into the lives of jurors, asking questions about previous arrests, opinions of lawyers and law enforcement, and military experience to name a few.
During individual questioning, one potential juror started crying after the state asked them questions about their opinion of self-defense.
Throughout the course of jury selection, most jurors had limited or no knowledge of the case, but those with established opinions believe Reeves is guilty. However, on Wednesday, there was one juror firmly set in the opinion that Reeves acted in self-defense. That juror was dismissed, along with jurors who had formed any strong opinions.
Judge Barthle had originally planned to start opening statements on Thursday, but with no jury seated, we will see at least one more day of jury selection. Wednesday wrapped up with the state asking jurors questions in a group setting.
In 2014, Reeves went to see a movie at a Wesley Chapel movie theater. After noticing Chad Oulson was texting during the movie previews, the two men got into an argument. Oulson threw popcorn at Reeves, causing Reeves to shoot and kill Oulson.
Reeves faces charges of second-degree murder and aggravated battery. Under Florida law, Reeves is looking at a minimum of 25 years in prison for committing second-degree murder with a firearm.
Opening statements are now expected to begin Friday.