Jury Selection Continues For Casey Anthony Trial
CLEARWATER (CBS4) - Jury selection resumed Tuesday in Clearwater as potential jurors were questioned for the trial of Casey Anthony, the Orlando woman accused of killing her two-year old daughter Caylee.
Chief Judge Belvin Perry began Tuesday's proceedings in Pinellas County by calling people from the original panel of about 110 potential jurors brought in Monday. Perry is expected to get through that initial pool early in the afternoon and then bring in an additional 50 prospective jurors.
Anthony's trial will take place in Orlando but the judge moved the jury selection to Pinellas County, about a hundred miles away, because of the intense media coverage in Orange County.
Those selected will be transported to Orlando and sequestered at a hotel. The estimated cost is $300,000. The trial is expected to last about two months.
Those not dismissed because of anticipated hardships of serving jury duty for nearly two months will be brought back later this week for further questioning. About half of the jurors questioned so far Tuesday have been asked to return. Only about a third brought in Monday were held over.
The judge hopes to have 20 jurors in place by the end of the week so the trial can begin on May 17th.
Anthony, 25, could face the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder. She also is charged with aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child and providing false information to law enforcement. She has pleaded not guilty and maintains a baby-sitter kidnapped Caylee.
