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CNN Live At Daybreak
Sniper Suspect's Trial Begins Today
Aired October 14, 2003 - 06:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: After 370 days, we may finally get to the why. D.C. sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad goes on trial today. The jury selection process is cranking up. If convicted, he could get the death penalty, even though no one saw him pull the trigger or spotted him at any crime scene.
Live to D.C. and Jennifer Coggiola.
Jennifer -- will his alleged accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, testify?
JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that is scheduled to be later. But today is the jury selection for Muhammad, and, like you said, this is going to be a complicated trial.
What's also going to be difficult, though, is the challenge that this Virginia judge faces in finding an unbiased jury, so he's taken some necessary precautions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COGGIOLA (voice-over): A judge will begin jury selection in Virginia Beach today in the trial of sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad. There are 140 prospective jurors who are expected to be questioned and whittled down to a panel of 12 with three alternates. But the challenge? Finding an unbiased jury that can give Muhammad a fair trial.
MARVIN MILLER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And this is not something where a jury sits down in the jury box with a clean slate, listens to only the admissible evidence and then makes a decision. That's not this case.
COGGIOLA: To try and find a jury that wasn't personally affected by the sniper attacks, the trial was moved 200 miles south from where the shootings took place. And potential jurors will be asked about their exposure to the massive publicity surrounding the case, including two books -- one by lead Detective Charles Moose -- and a TV special set to air Friday.
In fact, defense attorneys, citing one book by "Washington Post" reporters with police records in it, tried to get the case dismissed, but failed.
JONATHAN SHAPIRO, MUHAMMAD DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It's almost as though they're saying we all know he's guilty, we don't need to bother with the trial, let's just go ahead and execute the man.
COGGIOLA: Muhammad faces charges of murder and terrorism, both of which carry a death sentence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Now, the jury selection is expected to take about a week, so opening statements will begin as soon as next Monday or Tuesday, but the trial itself is scheduled to take about six weeks -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jennifer Coggiola reporting live from the District of Columbia this morning. We'll set some more insight into the importance of this jury selection process when our legal analyst, Kendall Coffey, joins us later this hour.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired October 14, 2003 - 06:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: After 370 days, we may finally get to the why. D.C. sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad goes on trial today. The jury selection process is cranking up. If convicted, he could get the death penalty, even though no one saw him pull the trigger or spotted him at any crime scene.
Live to D.C. and Jennifer Coggiola.
Jennifer -- will his alleged accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, testify?
JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that is scheduled to be later. But today is the jury selection for Muhammad, and, like you said, this is going to be a complicated trial.
What's also going to be difficult, though, is the challenge that this Virginia judge faces in finding an unbiased jury, so he's taken some necessary precautions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COGGIOLA (voice-over): A judge will begin jury selection in Virginia Beach today in the trial of sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad. There are 140 prospective jurors who are expected to be questioned and whittled down to a panel of 12 with three alternates. But the challenge? Finding an unbiased jury that can give Muhammad a fair trial.
MARVIN MILLER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And this is not something where a jury sits down in the jury box with a clean slate, listens to only the admissible evidence and then makes a decision. That's not this case.
COGGIOLA: To try and find a jury that wasn't personally affected by the sniper attacks, the trial was moved 200 miles south from where the shootings took place. And potential jurors will be asked about their exposure to the massive publicity surrounding the case, including two books -- one by lead Detective Charles Moose -- and a TV special set to air Friday.
In fact, defense attorneys, citing one book by "Washington Post" reporters with police records in it, tried to get the case dismissed, but failed.
JONATHAN SHAPIRO, MUHAMMAD DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It's almost as though they're saying we all know he's guilty, we don't need to bother with the trial, let's just go ahead and execute the man.
COGGIOLA: Muhammad faces charges of murder and terrorism, both of which carry a death sentence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Now, the jury selection is expected to take about a week, so opening statements will begin as soon as next Monday or Tuesday, but the trial itself is scheduled to take about six weeks -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jennifer Coggiola reporting live from the District of Columbia this morning. We'll set some more insight into the importance of this jury selection process when our legal analyst, Kendall Coffey, joins us later this hour.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
