Both the state and defense agreed on four jurors to determine whether Travis Ramseur is guilty of a 2004 double murder.
Jury selection began Monday in Iredell County Superior Court. Ramseur is charged with killing Angelo Stockton, 26, of Statesville and Timothy Cook, 28, of Woodleaf on Brevard Street on Nov. 16, 2004. A third man, Charles Summers, was wounded as a barrage of bullets was fired late on the night of Nov. 16, 2004.
The state is seeking the death penalty.
The case began Monday as Assistant District Attorney Jason Parker and defense attorney Harold Bender questioned the first group of jurors in an attempt to seat a panel of 12.
Both sides asked the potential jurors about their feelings concerning the death penalty.
Parker requested four of the jurors be dismissed because of their strong opposition to the death penalty or because they were related to someone on the potential witness list.
Four new jurors were seated, and Parker resumed questioning the panel.
Parker used four of his challenges to excuse four jurors. The eight members of the panel he approved included six women and two men.
Parker ultimately passed on a panel of six men and six women.
Bender quizzed the panel about whether the length of the trial would present a significant hardship. Estimates are that the trial will last four to six weeks.
All of the panel members raised their hands.
Bender questioned the 12 further about the hardship serving on this jury will cause. "You have to do what you have to do," one replied.
He asked Judge Richard Boner to excuse three jurors because concerns about the length of the trial, and Boner approved that request.
Bender delved deeper into each juror's feelings about the death penalty, stressing there is no guarantee the case will reach that phase of the trial.
In order for the jury to consider the death penalty, Ramseur will have to be found guilty of either count of first-degree murder or both counts. Then the jury will hear evidence and deliberate on whether he should receive life in prison or the death penalty.
"It's not a foregone conclusion that we're going to get to the second phase," he told the jury.
Bender also reminded the jurors that the decision they would be asked to make is a difficult one. "He'll die by the death penalty or die in spending the rest of his life in prison (if convicted)," he said.
As the court neared the time for the afternoon recess, Bender dismissed five jurors, approving four jurors Parker had earlier approved.
With the dismissals of the jurors by Boner, the state and the defense, only six remained of the original panel summoned to court on Monday.
Some 11 summoned for jury service did not appear in court Monday.
Boner instructed the Iredell County Sheriff's Office to attempt to locate those who did not appear and advise them to be in court Tuesday or face further action. "They can come to court at a later date for a different reason," he said.
An additional 75 jurors are due to report mid-week and more are summoned to report next week.
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