Jennifer Hailey
Stanley Lamar Griffin
Search for jury begins in capital murder trial
Prosecutors and defense attorneys Monday began questioning potential jurors for the capital murder trial of a 47-year-old man accused of killing a College Station mom and seriously injuring her son.
District Attorney Bill Turner and Assistant District Attorney Brian Baker plan to seek the death penalty if Stanley Lamar Griffin is convicted. Police said Griffin strangled 29-year-old Jennifer Hailey and stabbed her 9-year-old son in the neck inside their College Station apartment in September 2010.
Griffin sat quietly next to his attorneys, Lane Thibodeaux and Stephen Gustitis, as six potential jurors were called on throughout the day.
Each side was given about 30 minutes to question juror candidates, and most of the discussions were aimed at gauging the person's ability to fairly and objectively follow the law in reaching a verdict.
Prosecutors allege that Griffin kidnapped Hailey's son, making the crime a capital murder, which is punishable by either life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
Proving the kidnapping is key for the state to secure a capital murder conviction. If jurors find no kidnap occurred but that Griffin did kill Hailey, he'll be convicted of murder and face five to 99 years in prison.
Turner walked potential jurors through the three questions that would determine whether Griffin, if found guilty, would receive life in prison without parole or the death penalty: Is there is a probability the defendant would commit future acts of violence; are there mitigating circumstances that make life in prison more appropriate than the death penalty; and is the defendant mentally retarded?
If the answer is "no" to any of the questions, under Texas law, the defendant automatically would receive life in prison.
Judge Steve Smith approved a defense strike against a juror who indicated that, in general, he viewed police officers more credible than average civilians and that he didn't agree with the law stating defendants found to be mentally retarded couldn't receive the death penalty.
The strike does not count against the defense team's use of pre-emptory strikes, of which each side is given 15 to remove a juror without reason.
About 200 potential jurors are part of the candidate pool and individual questioning will resume at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Officials expect the process to take three to five weeks with testimony scheduled to begin June 18.
http://www.theeagle.com/local/Search...trial--7146618
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