CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WRIC) — So far, most of the potential jurors for the Sines v. Kessler trial in Charlottesville have been struck from the list or excused. According to ABC reporter Macy Moors, one juror was chosen Tuesday morning and another was chosen in the afternoon.
Moors reports that ten jurors have been selected in total. 12 jurors will ultimately be seated from a panel of 20 qualified jurors.
The Sines vs. Kessler trial taking place in the U.S. District Court in Charlottesville seeks to hold the Neo-Nazis and white supremacists behind the 2017 Unite the Right Rally accountable for their actions. The driver responsible for killing Heather Heyer with his car, James Alex Fields Jr., was previously sentenced to life in prison for murder and hate crimes.
Jury selection for the trial started Monday and is expected to continue at least one more day.
Many of the potential jurors under review on Tuesday were disqualified for different biases, according to Moors.
Prospective juror 215 said that Black Lives Matter discriminates against white people and that Antifa members were wrong for their role as counter protesters. The juror also said the “white side” of the rally was in the wrong. Judge Norman Moon struck them from the list for not being able to be impartial.
One juror said they could set personal feelings about the case aside but became emotional talking about the rally on the stand, their son’s teacher was beaten at the rally and the defendants argued they were too close to witnesses to participate in the jury. The judge removed them as well.
Another person struck from the jury said they believed that all lives matter and that Antifa was responsible for violence that occurred at the rally organized by the Neo-Nazis.
Some others were excused for personal and work related reasons.