First jurors selected for Oland retrial
The first jurors have been selected for the retrial of Dennis Oland, who is charged with the second-degree murder of his multi-millionaire father.
The process of picking a jury for Oland’s second trial resumed on Monday at the Saint John courthouse after more than 1,000 people showed up for initial selection and separation into groups two weeks ago.
Five jurors — three women and two men — were chosen by mid-afternoon Monday from the first group of 50 potential jurors.
Two weeks have been set aside to pick a jury for the retrial of Oland, a former investment adviser and member of the prominent Maritime beermaking family.
Oland was charged with murdering his father in 2013, two years after Richard Oland was found bludgeoned to death in his uptown Saint John office.
The verdict from his first trial was set aside on appeal in 2016 and a new trial ordered. When proceedings started two weeks ago, the 50-year-old Oland entered a not guilty plea.
The jury selection involves two courtrooms. Gathered in one room are people from the first two groups of prospective jurors. In the other room are Dennis Oland, Justice Terrence Morrison of the Court of Queen’s Bench, defence lawyers, Crown prosecutors and onlookers.
Oland’s mother, Connie, the widow of Richard Oland, and his wife, Lisa Oland, were in the courtroom, seated behind Dennis, who was next to his defence lawyers. He uses headphones in order to better hear prospective jurors as they are brought into the courtroom to answer questions.
The questions cannot be reported due to a publication ban.
Morrison said 14 jurors and two alternates will be picked for a trial that could last 65 days or longer.