Judge emphasizes impartiality during jury selection for Sapry case

“Everyone has certain biases or prejudices that would affect their judgment,” the judge said, noting that a particular person might be a good juror in one type of case, but not in another.

The pool was divided into two groups of about 100 each — one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Leonard asked the potential jurors to ask themselves whether they believed in the legal principles that an indictment is not an indication of guilt, that defendants are innocent until proven guilty, and that a defendant is not required to present evidence or testify in his own defense.

Sapry, 24, is charged with first- and second-degree murder in connection with the death of Wilfred Guzman Sr. on April 18, 2019, at his apartment in Laconia, the judge told the panel. She said that Sapry is also charged with falsifying evidence, theft, credit card fraud, and criminal trespass.

The judge told the panel that Sapry entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Sapry sat at the defense table throughout Monday’s proceedings, occasionally writing on a yellow legal pad.

The judge also asked potential jurors whether they had ever been a victim of a violent crime, whether they know anyone related to the case, if they had ever been a civilian or military police officer, if they belonged to or had given support to a victims’ rights organization, whether they had “any feelings” about the insanity defense which Sapry’s attorneys will offer, and whether they would have any problem looking at graphic images or hearing graphic testimony related to Guzman’s death.

After going through the list of questions, Leonard asked those in the group who did not mentally answer "yes" to any of them to stand. In both sessions, about a third of the group rose to their feet — 27 in the morning and 28 in the afternoon.

The judge told them they would be given a time to return for individual voir dire questioning, starting Tuesday and finishing Friday.

The rest remained in the courtroom and were called up to the bench where, in voices barely above a whisper, they told the judge why they thought they should or might have to be excused from serving on the jury. Attorneys for both the prosecution and the defense huddled at the bench to hear what the potential jurors had to say as well as their answers to the judge’s questions. At times the judge looked at the attorneys to get their input.

After each person had been questioned by the judge, Mark Sisti, Sapry’s lead defense attorney, walked over to the defense table where Sapry was sitting and whispered to him briefly.

The court was unable to say immediately how many in the pool had been excused.

Leonard said the individual voir dire questioning of those potential jurors who were not dismissed Monday will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday when the attorneys and the judge will question each person to identify jurors who are fair and impartial.

Each side will be allotted five minutes to question each juror.

Leonard said jury selection could take the rest of the week. Testimony is scheduled to begin on Monday and is expected to conclude two weeks later on Aug. 26.