Jury Selection Winds Down In Colorado Theater Shooting Case

(AP) — A jury could be seated Tuesday in the Colorado theater shooting case, capping a nearly three-month selection process that experts say was among the largest and most complicated in U.S. history. The death penalty and insanity plea introduced complicated and time-consuming legal requirements. Court officials initially summoned 9,000 prospective jurors, who started filling out written questionnaires in January. Hundreds were then asked to return for one-on-one sessions, where defense attorneys, prosecutors and the judge asked them about their views on the death penalty and mental illness. The Texas trial for the killer of a former Navy SEAL depicted in the movie "American Sniper" was complicated by publicity about the film. [...] jury selection moved quickly because it did not involve concerns about the large number of people affected by the crime. In addition to 12 jurors, Samour hopes to have as many as 12 alternates because of the greater likelihood that jurors could have hardships during the lengthy trial.