Jurors in Flowers’ pool told to ignore ‘hearsay’

WINONA – Attorneys for the prosecution and the defense were able to question potential jurors Tuesday, as the sixth murder trial of Curtis Giovanni Flowers entered its third day at the Montgomery County Courthouse.

With the number of potential jurors down to about 77 from the original 600, District Attorney Doug Evans told jurors that the voir dire process was an attempt to find out something about the jurors, and that they should only listen to the witnesses and the evidence that comes forth in court.

Evans told them to “disregard” anything else they may have heard about the case.

“This is not like a TV show where you can see the crime committed,” Evans said. “But you’ll see the witnesses, you’ll hear the evidence and then you’ll make a decision.”

While Judge Joseph H. Loper, Jr., and counsel for both sides spent most of the day Tuesday asking many of the same questions, the intent was to determine which of the potential jurors could put aside any personal relationships or fixed opinions they may already have about the case and be a fair and impartial juror if selected for the final jury panel.

“All of us have schools or ball teams that we like,” Evans told the jurors. “And if we have a friend or a relative playing on a team, you’re going to pull for that team. I’m asking you to put yourself in the place of the referee. I want you to be fair to both sides and listen only to the evidence.”

Because many of the jurors said they knew the defendant or the victims in the case, some admitted they had already formed opinions about Flowers or the case and could not put aside their feelings or attachments to friends or family members.

Some, however, said despite being related to the defendant or victims, or having close personal friends on both sides, they could set aside their opinions and render a verdict based solely on the evidence.

Others said it was not their place to judge.

Evans and Flowers’ defense attorneys, Ray Charles Carter and Allison Steiner, also spent much of the day questioning the jurors about their relationships with the defendant and/or victims, and if they could select the death penalty if Flowers was found guilty.

During the latter part of the day, Loper, Carter, Steiner and Evans questioned each of the jurors individually to determine what knowledge they already had about the case.

That questioning continued on Wednesday.