Picking a jury is no easy task: The fascinating rejections at CMPD officer’s trial

Justice is tough.

Tuesday was Day 2 of jury selection in the much-publicized trial of CMPD officer Randall Kerrick, accused in the shooting death of unarmed Jonathan Ferrell in 2013.

Ferrell had wrecked his car and was seeking help. He was shot to death when police were investigating a 911 call about a possible break-in attempt.

After two days of jury selection, no jurors have been selected. Zero. But plenty have been rejected. The reasons are fascinating:

Social media: Lawyers looked up one potential juror’s Facebook profile and saw

Money issues: Another woman told attorneys her employer won’t pay her during the trial, which could take more than a month. She said she’d lose her car and get her electricity cut off. Excused.

No doubt: Two different candidates had already made up their mind about the case. One African American man said he’s often felt threatened by white police officers.

In class: Two potential jurors were about to start college – one at Indiana University, another at N.C. State.

Big money: One had a big business deal about to close.

Vacay: Potential juror couldn’t get a refund for an upcoming cruise.

The good news: 12 potential jurors have moved on to a second round of questioning.

Photos: Charlotte Observer archives

This story was originally published July 21, 2015 at 11:29 PM with the headline "Picking a jury is no easy task: The fascinating rejections at CMPD officer’s trial."