With the trial of James Holmes now in the second phase of jury selection, potential jurors are answering questions about whether they have connections to the 2012 shooting in an Aurora movie theater that killed 12 people and injured many more. They’re also asked about everything from their vacation plans to their opinions on the death penalty.
The judge has said the trial could last through October. If history is any indication, jurors who are selected for the case will see their home and work lives turned upside down.
Research shows that jurors on lengthy and gruesome trials often feel isolated for many reasons. They can't talk to friends or family about how they spend the majority of their days. Their routines get disrupted. They are told to stay away from social media.
It can all take an emotional, social -- and even a financial toll on jurors. And despite pop culture jokes about how to avoid jury service, one expert says it's unusual for people to lie or make up excuses to get out of it.
Guests:
- Andrea Myers-Culhane, who served on a lengthy murder trial in Arapahoe County last year
- Paula Hannaford-Agor, an expert in Jury Studies at the National Center for State Courts
