The trial for Arnett Baines, one of the two men accused of killing three people and severely injuring a fourth in a 2019 shooting on Audubon Avenue, is scheduled to begin in February. On Friday, the prosecution and defense discussed the questionnaire that would be sent to potential jurors along with possible implicit bias in the case.
During the hearing, it was discussed that notices would be sent to nearly 700 potential jurors with a goal of having 300 make it to jury orientation. Concerns were raised about allowing certain questions during jury selection, a process that is expected to take multiple days.
A large portion of the hearing, however, focused on informing the potential jurors about the history of implicit bias and its role in society.
Defense Attorneys Tom Griffiths and Sara Zeurcher noted they have a 10-minute video made by a jurisdiction in Washington, saying it would not have to be edited or trimmed in any way.
“We’re asking the court to allow that 10-minute video to be played for the jurors just to educate them on that concept so that it’s coming from a neutral platform and not from one party,” Zeurcher said.
The video was contested by the prosecution, and ultimately the motion was denied by Circuit Judge Jay Wethington.
An evidentiary hearing in the case will be held on December 4. The trial is scheduled to begin February 5.
Baines, now 33, is facing three counts of murder and one count of first-degree assault among other charges. He is charged in the shooting deaths of Robert D. Smith Jr., 35; Jay Michael Sowders, 43; and Christopher Carie, 18. A fourth person, Carman Vanegas, who was 35 at the time, was also shot in the head but survived.
