Discharged jurors delay Reno Lee trial
Resumption of jury selection means Crown can’t call its case until Monday
The trial for three men accused of killing 34-year-old Reno Lee hit a snag before it even began when two jurors had to be discharged on Wednesday morning — the day the Crown was expected to start calling its case.
A jury selection took place Monday and Tuesday at the Conexus Arts Centre, which concluded with choosing 14 people, two of whom were to be alternates.
Alternates are routinely chosen to allow for unexpected circumstances in which one or more jurors become unable to finish sitting through a case. Alternates are particularly crucial in longer trials such as this one, which is set for six weeks.
Andrew Bellegarde, 24, Bronson Gordon, 33, and Daniel Theodore, 34, are accused of first-degree murder and indecently interfering with or offering an indignity to human remains by dismembering and decapitating Lee. The allegations date back to April 2015.
The jury selection involved a full day of whittling down the jury pool by hearing from those who felt they were unable to be a juror at this time or on this case. The second day involved the remainder — roughly 200 — being subject to a random draw and called to the front of the room where the three accused were, and the Crown and defence counsel decided who would sit on the panel.
In the early afternoon, once all 14 were selected, Regina Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Catherine Dawson reminded the newly assembled panel of the reasons they would not be able to sit, which include knowledge of circumstances of the case or personal familiarity with the accused, witnesses or other participants in the case, among various other reasons.
At that time, none of the 14 noted any conflicts.
But, first thing Wednesday morning, Dawson — with the consent of Crown and defence counsel — unexpectedly excused two of the 14, telling the remaining jurors the discharged individuals had “matters in their lives” that impacted their ability to hear the case. Additional details were not provided to the jury.
Members of the jury pool who attended the Conexus Arts Centre selection will be recalled and asked to return to court on Thursday morning for an additional jury selection.
The unanticipated delay means the Crown will not begin to call its case until Monday, as the jury is to sit only Monday through Thursday.