DADE CITY, Fla. — As jury selection for the Curtis Reeves case continued into its second day, lawyers spent much of the day working to eliminate potential panel members from a new pool of more than 50 people at the Pasco County East Courthouse.
Besides concerns like medical issues and serious outside commitments, lawyers and Judge Susan Barthle focused on questioning jurors about their knowledge of the case and if they had been influenced by the news or social media.
About half of the jurors present Tuesday said they had heard about the case on the news or online. It has been eight years since the shooting happened, so many of the jurors said they barely remembered seeing the case on the news or social media.
In 2014, Reeves went to see a movie at a Wesley Chapel movie theater. During the movie previews, he became upset with Chad Oulson, a man sitting near him who was texting on his phone.
After Reeves was unable to find management to file a complaint, he returned to the theater, where an argument began between the two men.
Video from the event shows Oulson throwing popcorn at Reeves, resulting in Reeves shooting and killing him with a handgun. Oulson's wife, Nicole, attempted to shield her husband, causing her hand to be shot.
Reeves faces charges of second-degree murder and aggravated battery. Under Florida law, a person who uses a firearm to commit second-degree murder will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.
Judge Susan Barthle is aiming to have jury selection completed by Wednesday afternoon. She does not expect to call any additional jury panels.
Opening statements are expected to begin Thursday.