MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) – Acknowledging the intense and extensive media coverage of the case of a Georgia man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son in a hot SUV to die, the judge decided it would be wise to move the trial away from the county where the boy died.
Questionnaires filled out by potential jurors show “pervasive knowledge” of the case and questioning of individual jurors during three weeks of jury selection confirmed that many already believe Justin Ross Harris is guilty, Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley said Monday. Harris, 35, faces charges including murder in the death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper.
Police have said the boy died after spending about seven hours in the SUV on June 18, 2014, when Atlanta-area temperatures soared at least into the high 80s.
“This courtroom has not been a place of mild opinions,” Staley said.
She noted the “emotionality” of potential juror comments, with one of them saying Harris should rot in hell, another calling him a pervert and one saying he deserves the death penalty, which prosecutors aren’t even seeking.