Jury selection in the trial of Molly Martens Corbett and Thomas Martens over the death of Limerick man Jason Corbett continued on Tuesday at the Davidson County Courthouse in Lexington, North Carolina.
Mr Corbett’s widow and father-in-law are charged with second-degree murder in connection with an incident in the early hours of August 2nd, 2015, when he was found beaten to death inside his home in Wallburg.
The two accused have pleaded not guilty to those charges, claiming self-defence.
A total of 143 potential jurors were on hand for the first day of trial on Monday. Preliminary questioning continued on Tuesday. As of 3pm, a total of 15 jurors had answered questions from the prosecution.
Questionnaire
Potential jurors were initially required to complete a 16-page questionnaire, which included their knowledge of potential witnesses, in order to expedite the process of selecting a jury of 12, according to Judge David Lee.
Davidson County assistant district attorney Alan Martin utilised the questionnaire to narrow the pool of jurors. His inquiries pertained largely to the nature of relationships between potential jurors and witnesses, as well as past instances that could create emotional difficulties for jurors.
Multiple potential jurors mentioned instances of reported domestic violence.
Dismissed
Eight potential jurors were dismissed on Tuesday. The four potential jurors approved by the prosecution remain subject to dismissal by the defence, which will have an opportunity to question them at a future date.
It remains unclear whether the two accused will testify in the case.
Judge Lee clarified for the potential jury on Monday that both defendants are presumed innocent and Davidson County prosecutors have the burden of proving that they are guilty of second-degree murder.
The process of selecting jurors is expected to continue on Wednesday.