Jury Selection

by John Boyd Jury selection begins today in the Capital Murder trial of Theodore Burnett.  Burnett is one of three men charged in the death of 14-year-old Chelsea Brooks. Prosecutors say he was hired to kill the teen, who was 9-months pregnant at the time. Investigators say the baby's father, Elgin Robinson was the one who hired him. Jury selection is expected to take several days. Stay with Eyewitness News and kwch.com for the latest on the trial.

by Cliff Judy (WICHITA, Kan.) Prosecutors have filed a motion opposing any kind of voluntary manslaughter or imperfect self-defense jury instruction in the Scott Roeder murder trial, essentially saying it could open Pandora's Box.  The motion has caused jury selection for the trial, originally scheduled for Monday, to be pushed back to Wednesday morning. Roeder has admitted to killing Wichita late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller as Tiller served as an usher at his east Wichita church last May. Last Friday, Judge Warren Wilbert said he'd consider the defense of others strategy at trial.

Update: Follow @12Judy for in-court updates. by Cliff Judy (WICHITA, Kan.) The judge overseeing Scott Roeder's murder case has set a 10:00 a.m. hearing Wednesday for attorneys to argue whether jury selection will be open to reporters. Judge Warren Wilbert agreed to requests from prosecutors and Roeder's defense attorney last week and decided to close jury selection to the public.  Judge Wilbert ruled giving media access to jury selection would have a "chilling effect" on juror candor.

He's accused of raping an elderly woman in her Salina hospital room and according to court documents may have even posed as a doctor. Jury selection began today in the Trial of Paul Henry Parker Junior. He faces ten charges, including rape and battery. The unique thing about this case is that both sides asked for a large pool of jurors to choose from; more than eighty. Parker's attorney originally asked for a change of venue, saying the media coverage in this rape trial would make it impossible to find an unbiased jury, but a judge disagreed.

by Cliff Judy (WICHITA, Kan.) Reporters will be allowed in the courtroom for part of Scott Roeder's jury selection, and the judge released the jury questionnaire.  However, any questioning of jurors on "personally sensitive issues" will occur in private. Read the Entire Jury Questionnaire Here Roeder has admitted to killing Wichita abortion provider Dr. George Tiller while Tiller served as an usher at his east Wichita church last May.  Roeder is charged with first degree murder.

A Kingman County man accused of killing his wife was back in court today. Brett Seacat is accused of killing his wife, Vashti Seacat, and setting their house on fire. Attorneys wanted to discuss how to handle jury selection and whether each potential juror should be questioned individually about pretrial publicity. The Defense is worried that many potential jurors will already have knowledge about this case because of media reports. That's why Seacat's attorneys want to ask potential jurors individual questions about that exposure.

The trial of Eric Srack has gone from jury selection to deliberation in less than 24 hours. The jury started deliberating Thursday afternoon before taking a recess…they will resume Friday morning. Srack is on trial for selling a synthetic drug known as potpourri to an undercover Salina drug task force officer. Earlier this year The Grind was raided and shut down by officials after they confirmed that potpourri was being sold out of the downtown Salina store that Srack managed.

On the day her second trial was to begin, Brigit Hippen entered a no contest plea to the charge of involuntary manslaughter. Hippen was charged with second-degree murder for the February 2010 of her 2-month old daughter.  Hippen used a hair dryer to warm her baby, fell asleep and then the baby died of hypothermia. Last year a jury was unable to reach a verdit in the case.  Hippen's attorney's argued the baby's death was a tragic accident.  Prosecutors were about to begin jury selection for the second trial when Hippen entered her plea.

Update: Scott Roeder's trial moves up a few days.  It's now scheduled to begin on January 11, 2010.  Jury selection will begin that day, the trial will begin once the jury's picked. Roeder's charged with shooting and killing abortion provider Dr. George Tiller while in church earlier this summer. By Eyewitness News (WICHITA, Kan.) The trial of the man accused of killing abortion provider Dr. George Tiller will stand trial in January. Fifty-one-year-old Scott Roeder faces charges of first-degree murder and aggravated assault in the May 31 shooting at Tiller's church.

A Kingman County man accused of killing his wife was back in court today. Brett Seacat is accused of killing his wife, Vashti Seacat, and setting their house on fire. Attorneys wanted to discuss how to handle jury selection and whether each potential juror should be questioned individually about pretrial publicity. The Defense is worried that many potential jurors will already have knowledge about this case because of media reports. That's why Seacat's attorneys want to ask potential jurors individual questions about that exposure.

Jury selection is complete in the murder of a Hutchinson mother. Christopher Logsdon's trial will begin this week. He's charged with first degree murder in the death of Jennifer Heckel. Heckel was killed in her home in June 2011. She was shot in the back and head.  Prosecutors have said her death was a case of mistaken identity.  Logsdon and another man, Billy Joe Craig, Jr., are both charged with her murder. They both have pleaded not guilty. Opening statements in Logsdon's trial are expected Thursday.

On the day her second trial was to begin, Brigit Hippen entered a no contest plea to the charge of involuntary manslaughter. Hippen was charged with second-degree murder for the February 2010 of her 2-month old daughter.  Hippen used a hair dryer to warm her baby, fell asleep and then the baby died of hypothermia. Last year a jury was unable to reach a verdit in the case.  Hippen's attorney's argued the baby's death was a tragic accident.  Prosecutors were about to begin jury selection for the second trial when Hippen entered her plea.

The trial of Eric Srack has gone from jury selection to deliberation in less than 24 hours. The jury started deliberating Thursday afternoon before taking a recess…they will resume Friday morning. Srack is on trial for selling a synthetic drug known as potpourri to an undercover Salina drug task force officer. Earlier this year The Grind was raided and shut down by officials after they confirmed that potpourri was being sold out of the downtown Salina store that Srack managed.

The trial begins for the owner of a Salina store accused of illegally selling "potpourri'. Prosecutors say Eric Srack sold herbal potpourri (used for smoking) at The Grind, adding the potpourri contained chemicals determined to be illegal drugs. Jury selection in the trial started early Wednesday morning and lasted into the late afternoon hours. After a jury of twelve (eight men and four women) were selected each side then gave their opening statements. The prosecution laid out what they called a “road map”.

The jury hears opening statements and the first witnesses Tuesday in the trial of a man accused in the fatal shooting a 13-year-old Wichita boy. Jury selection wrapped up in the morning. The case will be decided by a panel of 8 women and 5 men. One of the members of the jury is an alternate. Alejandro Betancourt is charged with first degree murder. The courtroom is packed for the first day of testimony. In it's opening statement, the prosecution told the jury that the shooting was meant to be revenge after a fight.

By Melody Pettit (SALINA, Kan.) He's accused of raping an elderly woman in her Salina hospital room and according to court documents may have even posed as a doctor. Jury selection began today in the Trial of Paul Henry Parker Junior. He faces ten charges, including rape and battery. The unique thing about this case is that both sides asked for a large pool of jurors to choose from; more than eighty. Parker's attorney originally asked for a change of venue, saying the media coverage in this rape trial would make it impossible to find an unbiased jury, but a judge disagreed.

Latest Update WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Prospective jurors in the murder trial of the man charged with killing a Wichita abortion doctor were being questioned in open court Thursday for the first time. The initial phase of jury selection for the trial of Scott Roeder had taken place behind closed doors for nearly six days in Sedgwick County District Court. Roeder is accused of fatally shooting Dr. George Tiller last May 31 at a Wichita church. Reporters were allowed into the courtroom Thursday afternoon for the first time as questioning of the 48 remaining panel members continued.

by Cliff Judy (WICHITA, Kan.) Reporters will be allowed in the courtroom for part of Scott Roeder's jury selection, and the judge released the jury questionnaire.  However, any questioning of jurors on "personally sensitive issues" will occur in private. Read the Entire Jury Questionnaire Here Roeder has admitted to killing Wichita abortion provider Dr. George Tiller while Tiller served as an usher at his east Wichita church last May.  Roeder is charged with first degree murder.