FORT MYERS, Fla. — The jury for the Mark Sievers trial was selected Tuesday afternoon after six days of jury selection.
Judge Bruce Kyle swore in the nine women and three men that make up the panel of twelve on Tuesday afternoon.
There will be two other alternates.
Before the jury was selected, the 37 potential jurors in the voir dire phase answered basic questions about their background.
They also received instructions on how they should weigh the evidence presented in court.
There was one potential juror who was a no show.
The court told the potential jurors that when it comes to testimonies, it is up to them to use common sense in deciding what is reliable.
Things to consider are if the witness has a clear recollection of what happened, if the witness has something to gain from giving the testimony, and if the witness is straightforward.
Today the state read their potential witness list to the jurors — it includes Curtis Wayne Wright who took a plea deal for his involvement in the murder of Teresa Sievers.
"We can all agree that we would apply those very same rules of deliberation and weighing the evidence to Mr. Wright, as we would to any other witness in this case," Assistant State Attorney Hamid Hunter told the potential jurors.
Others on the prosecution's potential witness list are Angela Wright, who is Curtis Wright's wife, and Teresa Sievers's sister.
The defense also presented their potential witness list, which was similar to the prosecution's, but also includes Jimmy Rodgers's former girlfriend, Taylor Shomaker.
Opening statements for the Mark Sievers trial will begin Wednesday morning.
