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Highlands Today

Opening Arguments Expected Today In Branham Trial

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By Dan  Fearson | Highlands Today

Published: September 6, 2007

The second day of the Michael Branham murder trial ended with 14 people in a jury box and a courtroom full of potential jurors.

"I do hope to have a jury in place by tomorrow at noon," said Judge Michael Hunter Wednesday afternoon to jury pool members.

The day went long, as Hunter and the attorneys involved with the trial interviewed potential jurors during closed meetings.

At 3:30 p.m., the parties involved with one-on-one interviews entered the courtroom, where they began calling jury pool members to take seats in the jury box.

After the jury boxed was filled, the potential jurors were asked questions by the state about their feelings regarding murder, self-defense and pre-meditation.

One jury member in the box was dismissed by Hunter for being a full-time student. Another was dismissed for stating that she did not believe that killing someone was ever a necessary option, even in self-defense situations. They were both replaced by jury pool members sitting in the audience, which featured more than 60 people.

Jury selection will continue into Thursday morning, when Branham's defense attorney Larry Shearer, of Lakeland, will have the opportunity to question box members. Members of the jury pool were asked to be at the courthouse by 9 a.m. every day until their dismissal.

The jurors who are currently in the jury box will more than likely make up the jury panel for the trial unless they are dismissed.

Branham, a former Avon Park police officer, allegedly shot his wife, Janette, 40, a prominent Highlands County attorney, 13 times in July 2005.

Shearer has said that he will request that the jury involved with the trial be sequestered, isolating them from outside contact.

Throughout the day, the jury pool remained lively and vocal inside the courthouse while awaiting personal interviews. One hundred summonses where sent out for the second day of the trial, and 44 people showed up to the courthouse.

Out of the 44 people who showed up to the courthouse Wednesday morning, 27 said that they had previously heard details of the case, while 10 said that they would experience financial difficulties if they had to sit through the trial, which is expected to last until next Thursday.

Currently the jury box has a diverse mixture of races, ages, and genders among its members. A couple of members said that they work for area banks, some are involved in skilled trade jobs, and one man is a retiree.

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