Jury selection began Monday morning in the murder trial against a self-described sovereign citizen.
Neely Raye Pesognellie Petrie Blanchard is charged with first-degree murder with a firearm in the shooting death of 50-year-old Christopher Hallett in November 2020. Law enforcement officials believe the motive for the shooting was that Blanchard thought Hallett could reunite her with her children after they were taken away by state officials. Blanchard has been locked up in the county jail since her 2020 arrest.
Local attorney Jack Maro told the court in a hearing held last month that the 37-year-old Pensacola woman had fired him. Blanchard's request for more time to get a lawyer was denied by the judge, who told her and the prosecution that the trial will move forward. From arguments made in court hearings, Blanchard plans to use temporary insanity as a defense at trial.
Here's what happened in court:
Judge: Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon.
What is sovereign citizen? According to the dictionary, a sovereign citizen is defined as "a member of a political movement of people who oppose taxation, question the legitimacy of government, and believe that they are not subject to the law."
What's QAnon? From a January 2021 BBC report, it states QAnon "is a wide-ranging, completely unfounded theory that says that President Trump is waging a secret war against elite Satan-worshipping pedophiles in government, business and the media."
How many people were in court for jury selection? 36.
Who were some of the people among the 36? A retired police officer, a high school test coordinator, a retired military service member, a college graduate, a chef and a nurse.
Who are the lawyers? Assistant State Attorneys Amy Berndt and Toby Hunt. Blanchard is representing herself. Though she's been in jail, Blanchard was allowed to wear clothing and not handcuffed or shackled while in court.
Was anyone in court for Blanchard? Yes, her mother and sister.
What questions were potential jurors were asked? The prosecution asked potential jurors where they work, if they live with anyone, their occupation, their feelings about Blanchard representing herself, their feelings of temporary insanity, and if they had ever heard the terms "sovereign citizen" or "QAnon." Blanchard asked potential jurors who they voted for in the last presidential election, if they voted for Donald Trump, if anyone or their family members had served in the military, if anyone had heard of the term "oxymoron" or its relation to sovereign citizen, whether or not the mainstream news tells the truth, if anyone had ever served in the judicial, legislative or executive branches, if they were an American citizen and, if not, where they are from.
Several times prosecutors objected to Blanchard's line of questions and the judge told Blanchard she had to remain on task and ask questions to see whether or not they could be fair and partial to her case.
What happened after questioning from both sides? The judge told the potential jurors to step outside so the prosecution and the defense could make their selections. Both sides settled with 12 jurors, with two alternates. The rest were sent downstairs for further instructions.
Was that the end? No. One alternate, a man, was excused because both sides agreed he shouldn't be on the jury after questioning him. He told the judge while he was outside that he looked up "QAnon" because he wanted to know what it meant. Blanchard wanted two alternates, but the judge and the prosecution agreed one is sufficient.
What happened next? The judge told jurors what to expect during the trial, their instructions and dismissed them for the day.
When does the trial start and end? The trial is expected to begin Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. and conclude sometime Friday.
What happened after jury selection? The judge heard motions from the state and the defense. Blanchard wanted her shackles and handcuffs removed so she could feel free and focus on her arguments. The judge, in agreement with bailiffs, said Blanchard's handcuffs could be removed, but left her shackles on.
In court:Ocala courts: The latest on three juveniles charged with the murders of three teens
Blanchard had three motions denied by the judge. One was to suppress testimony about her telling a person believed to be a spiritual advisor about the shooting. The prosecution argued, as far as they knew, the individual doesn't identify themselves as a spiritual advisor. Blanchard also knew she was being recorded. The other motions were about her being insane and documents about her children's custody case. The judge denied both, citing documents introduced by Blanchard don't support her arguments. At one point during her presentation, Blanchard cried, telling the court that's why she's here.
— Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
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