Jury selection process laid out for trial against Lori Vallow Daybell

BOISE (KIVI TV) — Logistics are well underway for the Ada County trial against Lori Vallow Daybell, the eastern Idaho mom accused of killing her two children — JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan — and conspiring to kill her husband’s previous wife — Tammy Daybell. The murder trial is expected to last several weeks beginning April 3.

Potential jurors will be answering questionnaires at the Ada County Courthouse on March 27 and 28. A court order filed by Judge Steven Boyce says “because the distribution of questionnaires is an administrative function, only Counsel and the Defendant will be permitted to observe.”

Daybell is set to appear in Fremont County Court for a hearing on Wednesday, March 15. She will then be transported to the Ada County Jail by March 25.

Once the official voir dire process begins, there will be limited public access via simulcast remote viewing in rooms at the Ada County and Madison County courthouses. Family members will be given priority and remaining seating will be assigned through a reservation system set by the Ada County Courthouse.

Only some portions of the jury selection will be simulcast. Sections where potential jurors are questioned individually will be closed to the public.

Religious beliefs are likely to be an area of focus for prospective jurors. The court argues that closing only portions of the questioning will balance the rights of victims and the public while ensuring the defendant’s right to a fair trial and impartial jury, while also allowing potential jurors to answer questions honestly and out of the public eye.

Boyce recently ruled to sever the trials against Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell. Chad waived his right to a speedy trial in Aug. 2021 and repeatedly requested proceedings be delayed. His attorney, John Prior, argued the state did not disclose evidence in a timely manner and that he would not be prepared for an April 3 trial.

A new date for Chad Daybell’s trial has not yet been set.