BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) – A second attempt at jury selection in the trial of a metro Atlanta man charged with killing his toddler son began Monday, at a new courthouse 275 miles (440 kilometers) from the suburban parking lot where the child died in the back seat of a hot SUV.
Despite the long-distance relocation of the trial, most potential jurors questioned by the judge said they not only had heard about the case against Justin Ross Harris, but had also formed opinions about his guilt or innocence.
Harris, 35, is charged with murder in the June 2014 death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper. Nearly three weeks of efforts to find an impartial jury in Cobb County fell apart in May, with the judge agreeing to move the case because of pretrial publicity.
Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark reconvened the trial Monday in coastal Glynn County, where about 250 people were summoned to jury duty. Two weeks have been set aside to seat a jury.
“It’s not a case where you can pick a jury in one day or two,” Clark said before adjourning for the evening Monday.