Five James Holmes jurors have been ejected so far in what is threatening to become one of America’s maddest and most mangled jury trials.
Today “Juror 276” had to be released after she finally realized why one of the witnesses seemed so darn “familiar” to her: She’d met the individual at the Arapahoe County elementary school where she’s presently employed.
Number 276’s exit follows on the heels of yet another juror’s dismissal on Monday, and, only a week before that, three others who were simultaneously discharged from their duties for chatting up the case on their downtime.
Including seven alternates, that now leaves only 19 people on the Colorado theater shooter’s jury panel, with the actual 12 appointed jurors still a best-kept secret, until the case is finally left at their door to decide.
At this rate of attrition, however, there may not be the requisite dozen left in order to fulfill that legal obligation. A deficit which could result, unfortunately, in a mistrial.
But there’s no serious danger James Holmes will be set free if such a technicality arises -- he was caught red-handed at the Aurora crime scene, and has already confessed to planning and perpetrating mass murder.
