Mark Sievers trial: Long jury selection process continues: Day 5

Reporter: Taylor Petras
Published: Updated:
Mark Sievers. Photo via WINK News

After a long day of jury selection on Friday, ending at 9:35 p.m., the process continues on Monday as the list of possible jurors in the Mark Sievers murder trial is narrowed down.

Mark Sievers diligently took notes at the defense table while the attorneys asked more potential jurors if they would be able to recommend a death sentence if they find Sievers guilty of First Degree Murder.

Michael Mummert, attorney for Sievers, told jurors that he was not inferring his client was guilty. “In fact,” Mummert said, “he has maintained his innocence since the beginning.”

Erica Baer is a former jury consultant. She emphasized the importance of Mummert’s statement because Sievers has not been proven guilty by a court of law. Therefore, “they need to continue to presume innocence until the end of the trial,” she said.

Baer told WINK News Sievers’ lawyer and the state attorney’s office are looking for open-minded people when it comes to the death penalty. But it is still proving difficult for some.

“You said you’re on the wife’s side,” Mummert said to a potential juror. “Can you flesh that out a little bit more what does that mean?”

The court released that potential juror Monday morning. Right now, 28 qualified potential jurors are coming back on Tuesday. Baer said the next step is to ask the jury more general questions again, as the court tries to narrow down the group of people to 12.

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