Six more jurors need to be seated before opening statements in the second trial against Karen Read.
Jury selection in Karen Read's retrial continued for a fifth day on Monday, but no new jurors were seated.
Judge Beverly Cannone is looking to seat at least 16 jurors before the trial can move forward. Ten were chosen last week.
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On Monday, Cannone once again started the day around 9:30 a.m. by instructing a group of potential jurors on the case, the law and their role as finders of fact. Afterward, the pool of jurors will be asked to fill out jury questionnaires that include questions about everything from Read to law enforcement to media coverage of the case.
"Really, this process is, for both sides — especially for the defense — is about deselection, not selection," said Chris Dearborn of Suffolk Law School. "Making sure people who are going to have a bias aren't sitting on the jury."
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Some legal experts have raised concerns at the pace in which the jury selection process has gone. It's an incredibly publicized, controversial trial, so the concern is that people could be underplaying their bias one way or the other.
Legal analyst Michael Coyne thinks the rate of selection could be a sign of something problematic.
"To me, it is. Because it raises more concerns about whether people are downplaying their preexisting belief in either her guilt or her innocence. simply because they want to be good people and say they dont have a bias and ultimately then get on the jury," Coyne said.
The time around is going at a slower pace than the impanelment process for Read's first trial. On day five of jury selection last year, 19 jurors had been seated.
Meanwhile, Read's legal team has taken their double jeopardy argument all the way to the Supreme Court, as they try and get two of the three charges she faces thrown out. This stems from jurors in the first trial coming forward afterwards, claiming that they were in agreement to acquit her of two charges, and were only undecided on a single charge.
Legal analysts are doubtful that this latest appeal will go anywhere, since it's already been denied by four other judges.
"To quote 'Shawshank Redemption,' hope is a great thing, sometimes the best of things, so I'll take any chance with the Supreme Court," Read said.
Asked about her quoting of movies, she replied, "I've been watching a lot, I've had some time."
A juror from the first trial spoke to NBC10 Boston about what he thinks jurors being seated now should know.
"Listen to the evidence, ask questions and make sure that you have clear direction from the system. because if we had that clear direction in the first trial, we might not be in this position today," Ronald Estanisla said on Canton Confidential Friday.
