LIVE UPDATES | Day 1 of jury selection underway in Chad Daybell case

LIVE UPDATES FROM THE CHAD DAYBELL TRIAL

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6:02 p.m. The group advances. We have 16 jurors who will advance. Additional groups of jurors will be questioned tomorrow. Join me at 6:30 p.m. for “Courtroom Insider” on the EastIdahoNews.com YouTube channel and my Facebook page. I’ll break everything down and answer your questions.

5:57 p.m. Juror has a problem with how a court handled a case involving her brother. Wood asks if that bias could bleed over into this case. She says it’s possible. Wood moves to excuse the juror for cause. Prior agrees with the state. Boyce grants the motion.

5:56 p.m. She says the media has portrayed Chad Daybell as guilty but she feels she could put that out of her mind and render an impartial verdict.

5:54 p.m. Juror says she has followed the case fairly closely and knows the facts as reported in the media. She followed Lori Vallow’s case in the news.

5:53 p.m. New juror walks in. She has a procedure that would need to be rescheduled if she’s picked to serve in the jury. She says she can have the operation moved back.

5:51 p.m. State and Prior have no questions for juror on death penalty. He advances. There is one more juror to question.

5:46 p.m. New juror enters the courtroom. Neither side has any questions about hardship or bias. Death penalty now being discussed.

5:45 p.m. Defense and prosecutors have no questions. He advances. We now have 15 who have progressed toward the final pool of 50.

5:43 p.m. Juror has no strong opinions about the death penalty and says he could follow instructions.

5:41 p.m. New juror is seated. He has no concerns that serving would create a hardship. Prosecutors and Prior have no questions about hardship or bias. Boyce now addressing the death penalty issue.

5:39 p.m. Prior and prosecutors have no questions. Juror advances.

5:36 p.m. Juror says her views on the death penalty are complicated but she can be impartial and fair.

5:34 p.m. Juror is in the courtroom and Batey asks the woman about news coverage she has observed. The woman noted on her questionnaire that she saw Lori Vallow was found guilty. The juror says that will not influence her decision making process.

5:32 p.m. Juror advances and is being escorted out.

5:27 p.m. State has no questions. Prior asking the juror further questions about his views on the death penalty.

5:25 p.m. Juror says he supports the death penalty but is not in favor of death in every murder case. He says it depends on the case and the instructions.

5:23 p.m. Next juror is brought in. He is a maintenance worker at a hospital and is the only person trained to fix a machine. If he is picked, he says the hospital will call in an outside company to make the repairs.

5:21 p.m. Boyce grants the state’s request to dismiss the juror and he is stricken.

5:19 p.m. The juror says he has strong religious convictions about the death penalty and is firmly opposed to it.

5:16 p.m. Juror says under no condition would he sentence someone to death. State moves to dismiss the juror for cause. Prior follows up with some questions.

5:14 p.m. Boyce asks juror if his views on the death penalty would affect his ability to be fair. Juror says if the only choice was death penalty, he could not do it.

5:09 p.m. Juror says he didn’t watch “Dateline” about the case and can set aside what he has seen to do his best at being fair and impartial. Prior has no questions about media coverage. Now death penalty will be discussed.

5:08 p.m. Juror says he doesn’t know how you can live in Idaho and not know about the case. He says he doesn’t watch the news. He says serving on a jury is what you are supposed to do as an American.

5:07 p.m. Boyce asks if anyone needs a quick break. Attorneys agree to keep going. New juror has entered the courtroom.

5:05 p.m. Prior asking further questions on the juror’s death penalty views. She advances forward. She is escorted from the room and another juror will be brought in.

4:59 p.m. Juror says there are many appeals in death penalty cases and a lot of money is wasted.

4:56 p.m. The juror opposes the death penalty. She says she can put aside her feelings if it’s called for by the facts, law, and instructions of the case.

4:54 p.m. Prior asking the juror about her comment that she thinks Chad was involved. The juror says she has information based on what media has reported but is agreeable to looking at all the evidence before making her determination of Chad’s innocence or guilt.

4:53 p.m. Juror believes Chad Daybell had some involvement in the crimes but she says she can set it aside and be fair.

4:49 p.m. New juror is brought in. She has learned a little about the case from the local news and perhaps “Dateline.” She says she watches a lot of those types of shows.

4:46 p.m. Juror now being asked about her views on the death penalty. Says she will follow instructions carefully. Juror advances. We now have 11 of 50 needed.

4:43 p.m. Juror says there won’t be a hardship with her business if she is chosen for jury. She has a little boy having a birthday on June 1 but that won’t hurt her ability to serve on the jury.

4:42 p.m. Prior and prosecutors have no objections about this juror. He advances. We now have 10 of 50 needed before questioning is complete. Next juror comes in. A woman who does dog boarding.

4:38 p.m. Boyce asking juror thoughts on death penalty. He left some questions blank on the questionnaire concerning the issue. He says it’s a tough issue. He generally favors the death penalty in serious cases but does not favor the death penalty in all murder cases.

4:34 p.m. Wood asks if there was anything in the special that affects whether the defendant was guilty or not guilty. The juror doesn’t recall the program and it didn’t cause him to form an opinion. Says he can render an impartial verdict.

4:33 p.m. The new juror walks in. He has met one of the witnesses – Greg Hampikian, a DNA expert. Juror says he could take whatever the witness says as a clean slate and won’t affect what he says. Witness says he has watched a special on the case – likely “Dateline.” He doesn’t recall when he watched it but it was more than a year ago.

4:30 p.m. The woman says she believes Chad Daybell is guilty unless evidence shows otherwise. Prior motions to dismiss the juror for cause. Boyce grants the dismissal. We are down to nine in this group.

4:28 p.m. Prior questioning the juror about the Wisconsin trip. She says it won’t cause any issues as they don’t have any solid plans to attend the graduation.

4:26 p.m. Juror says she has formed an opinion based on news reports but she knows not all reports are accurate. Based on what she has seen in the media, the juror feels Chad is guilty.

4:24 p.m. First juror being questioned has a stepson who is graduating next month in Wisconsin but they don’t have travel plans, etc. to attend. Serving on the jury would not cause her any concern.

4:21 p.m. Prior finished questioning and the prosecutors asked for a sidebar. Individual voir dire will now be held. All the jurors will be sent out and each will be brought in one at a time for questioning.

4:09 p.m. Prior asks if any of the jurors have issues sitting for long periods of time. One man raises his red card. He says he has a medical condition. It causes discomfort to sit but it won’t be a distraction.

4:07 p.m. Prior asks if any of the jurors just don’t want to be here. Chad it looking intently at the jurors. None of them raise their hands.

4:05 p.m. Blake has no further questions. Prior will now question the jurors.

4:01 p.m. Blake talks about circumstantial evidence and asks the jurors if any of them would be concerned if they didn’t see a particular piece of evidence they believe they should see. None of them raise their cards.

3:57 p.m. Blake says jurors need to commit to following the courts “recipe” even if they think they have a better way. She asks if any of them have concerns with those instructions. Nobody raises their cards.

3:56 p.m. Lindsey Blake will now question the jurors. She explains how her toddler loves cheesy eggs and they are supposed to be made a certain way. He does like her to vary the recipe. She asks if any of the jurors have a similar experience. Jurors nod their heads in agreement.

3:53 p.m. There are 10 jurors remaining from this second group.

3:52 p.m. Prior agrees to have the juror excused. Boyce thanks the juror for her candor and allows her to be excused.

3:51 p.m. Prior has some questions for the juror. He tells her there will be graphic and disturbing photos that will be emotional presented during the trial. He asks her if he will immediately assign the photos to Mr. Daybell or will she be able to look at the photos as evidence. “I can maybe keep it to evidence. What my concern is how I’m going to be able to continue to function.”

3:49 p.m. Juror says she’s already lost sleep about being called for jury duty and the autopsy photos would cause distress. Graphic information loops in her mind and she feels it would make it difficult for her to render an impartial verdict. Wood asks the judge be excused for cause.

3:47 p.m. Wood tells jurors there will be autopsy photos of children and a mother. He asks if any of them will have a problem with this. A juror raises her red card and says she’s a retired school teacher. She says she doesn’t watch anything violent, action movies, etc. because they stay with her and create anxiety.

3:46 p.m. Wood asks if the jurors can only rely on what they learn in the court – not what they’ve seen on the news or read online.

3:42 p.m. Wood now addressing the jurors and thanks them for being here. Says there are no wrong answers. “How you feel is how you feel. We need to know that so the defendant and the state can have a fair trial.”

3:40 p.m. Prosecutors make a motion to excuse the juror for cause based on hardship. Prior stipulates. Boyce agrees to dismiss the juror.

3:39 p.m. Boyce asks if any of the jurors would not be able to give the case their undivided attention. One juror raises his card and says he works nights. He doesn’t wake up until noon. The man says he would be falling asleep during the trial.

3:38 p.m. Boyce asks if any of the jurors have been involved in legal matters with Daybell, Prior or the prosecutors. Nobody raises their cards.

3:33 p.m. Boyce asks jurors if the subject matter of the case – charges of murder, conspiracy, insurance fraud – would make it impossible or difficult to render a fair and impartial verdict? None of the jurors raised their cards.

3:32 p.m. There are 12 potential jurors left from this group. Boyce notes significant news coverage of the case. He asks if jurors have heard about the case in detail. Several raise their red cards.

3:31 p.m. Blake makes motion to excuse the juror. Prior agrees. Boyce says she can be dismissed.

3:29 p.m. Juror says she’s a stay-at-home mom and would have to secure childcare for her toddler. Boyce mentions there’s a chance of sequestration and the mom says that would be very hard for her son. Her husband works at a hospital and has weird hours. The lady says it would become a distraction for her. The child has trouble napping with her putting him down.

3:28 p.m. One other juror raises her card when asked if there are concerns about the length of the trial. She says she has two vacations planned in May and June. She is also the primary caretaker for a two-year-old.

3:26 p.m. Third juror has vacation in May to visit elderly grandparents. He has scheduled time off from work, which would be hard to move, and he has already purchased plane and train tickets. He also has plans to visit a friend recently diagnosed with leukemia. Prosecutors motion to excuse the juror. Prior agrees. Boyce dismisses the juror.

3:24 p.m. Second juror says his nephew has a wedding in Atlanta in April. The juror purchased the airline ticket before being summoned. Boyce jokingly asks if the nephew would be willing to move the wedding out a couple months. Juror and others laugh. Prosecutors make motion to excuse the juror. Prior agrees. Juror is dismissed.

3:23 p.m. First juror has training for work in other states over the coming weeks. Prosecution makes motion to excuse the juror for hardship. Prior agrees. Juror is dismissed.

3:22 p.m. Boyce asks if serving on a jury for 8-10 weeks would create significant hardship on their lives. Three jurors raise their cards.

3:20 p.m. Boyce tells the jurors if they are excused, don’t be offended that their honesty or integrity has been questioned because it has not.

3:16 p.m. Boyce explains what voir dire is: French for “to speak the truth.” The process through which potential jurors from the venire are questioned by either the judge or a lawyer to determine their suitability for jury service.

3:15 p.m. Jurors have been sworn in.

3:12 p.m. Boyce reading instructions to the jurors.

3:10 p.m. Update on who is in the courtroom gallery: Two members of the public, two journalists (including myself) and two former jurors who served in the Lori Vallow case.

3:07 p.m. New panel of potential jurors walks in. There are 8 women and 8 men.

3:04 p.m. Boyce says he intends to get through the second group of jurors today and encourages attorneys to be judicious with their time.

3:02 p.m. Prior asks the judge if he has language he would prefer him to use. Boyce says he’s not going to prohibit a reference to what the jury is already seeing. Boyce says if the verbiage is used repeatedly to garner sympathy, he will consider the issue. As for the “vouching” statement that Daybell is not guilty, Prior says he will avoid doing that.

3 p.m. Before the new jurors are brought in, Blake has two objections. She says Prior referred to the “four prosecutors” repeatedly and him as the lone defense attorney. Her other objection is Prior said he believes his client is not guilty. Blake says that is not appropriate and outside the scope of voir dire.

2:58 p.m. We are back from lunch break. Boyce is on the bench and the attorneys are at their tables.

2:12 p.m. Lunch break. Be back soon.

2:11 p.m. Judge tells jurors to avoid reading or watching anything about the case. The group is dismissed.

2:08 p.m. Court is back in session. There are 9 in the group. State and defense pass the group. Additional groups will be questioned until we get 50 people.

1:57 p.m. Prior asks if there will be an emotional hardship for him to serve on the jury. The man says he will get through it. Boyce says additional topics will be discussed. Livestream will proceed and public will leave the courtroom.

1:53 p.m. Wixom has no further questions. Prior asking about the baseball games and how important it must be for the juror to attend those games.

1:51 p.m. Juror explains he’s waiting to hear from HR about their policy on paid jury duty. The man says if he’s picked for the trial, he will be 100% here. Wixom asks about the man’s son having baseball games in Oregon being a hardship.

1:49 p.m. The juror who was previously here is being brought in. He had some personal, sensitive information on his questionnaire so the judge is going to turn off the broadcast. Before getting to that, there will be some questions about hardship and bias.

1:48 p.m. Boyce overrules motion to strike and juror advances.

1:46 p.m. Prior asking the juror to share his thoughts about the death penalty. He asks to have the man removed for cause. Blake asks for further questioning.

1:40 p.m. The juror supports the death penalty but says he would follow the instructions based on the case. He doesn’t think it’s appropriate in every case. Prosecutors have no questions for him on the death penalty.

1:38 p.m. The juror has a vacation scheduled for early June. He says if he has to cancel the trip, he would and feels it would be important to serve. The man has two weeks off for a family reunion in Arkansas. He says it’s a significant event but he’s never served on a jury and feels this is important.

1:36 p.m. New juror is now seated. He had never heard about the Daybell case before today.

1:33 p.m. New juror is seated. Boyce says there are some potentially private items he listed on his questionnaire. He would rather the questioning happen in private. He is leaving for now and another juror will be brought in. Once questioning of that juror is done, they will have private voir dire with the juror.

1:31 p.m. Juror is asked about death penalty. Prosecutors and defense satisfied with her answers. She advances. Next juror being brought in.

1:26 p.m. New juror is here. She is a student and there could be issues with her class. She has seen or heard a podcast about the case but doesn’t remember which one. Prior now questioning the juror.

1:22 p.m. Juror advances. We now have 6 of 50 jurors needed for the pool.

1:20 p.m. State has no questions for the juror. Prior asking the man his views about the death penalty.

1:18 p.m. Judge asks the man if he would be in favor of the death penalty in every case where a murder has been committed. He says the cases are individual and the decision to impose the death penalty would depend on an individual case.

1:16 p.m. New juror says he has seen brief coverage when he’s happened to be watching TV. He has not read about it online and has not followed the case.

1:13 p.m. Boyce says the juror has said he will follow instructions. Motion to strike is overruled. We now have a pool of 5 who have advanced. Another juror is being brought in.

1:10 p.m. Prior asking the man about his views concerning the death penalty. Prior moves to have the juror removed. Blake follows up with some questions. Blake objects to the motion to strike for cause.

1:06 p.m. New juror is in his seat. He supports the death penalty but would base his decision on the facts, instructions in the case. Prosecutors have no questions for the juror.

1:03 p.m. The juror advances and another juror is being brought in.

1:01 p.m. Juror says she would want to check in with her family every night during the trial. She has no problem being sequestered for a short time.

1:00 p.m. Wixom done questioning. Prior asking the juror if she is worried about her children. She says if she was worried about her children, she would not be here today. She also runs a daycare.

12:56 p.m. Another juror is brought in. Wixom is questioning her. She has 5 kids and says sequestering would be difficult. She says she doesn’t know very much about the case and what she has learned would “absolutely not” hinder her ability to be fair.

12:51 p.m. Prior moves to have the juror dismissed for cause because of her work obligations. Prosecutors don’t object. Boyce lets her go.

12:48 p.m. The juror has a golf fundraiser that she is in charge of on Friday, May 3. It could be difficult for her as the marketing director to miss the tournament. Prior now questioning the juror. He says he’s concerned about her being distracted with the tournament.

12:45 p.m. New juror takes her seat. Batey questioning her on behalf of the prosecution. The juror read articles about the case and concluded that Daybell was guilty but believes she can set her feelings aside as a juror.

12:42 p.m. No further questions. Juror advances and next juror is being brought in. Boyce wants to get through this first group of jurors before taking lunch.

12:40 p.m. State has no questions for the juror. Prior asks the woman about whether she would automatically vote for the death penalty in a murder case. She says no. She would not favor death in all murder cases but she would support it being considered.

12:38 p.m. The woman says she is “generally opposed” to the death penalty. She says she doesn’t know all the laws surrounding the death penalty but if it’s used sparingly and in more extreme crimes, she would be in support of it.

12:36 p.m. The juror noted in one part of her questionnaire that she supports the death penalty but in another part of the questionnaire, she says she is generally opposed to it. Boyce asks her to explain.

12:32 p.m. The juror is a forensic interviewer as her profession. Prior talking with her about two of the victims being children and wondering if she can be completely unbiased and fair.

12:30 p.m. The woman has seen bits and pieces of the case but she purposely does not watch the news. The woman wrote on her questionnaire that Chad Daybell “probably did it.” She says that thought was not her “deep conviction” but she was just being “brutally honest.”

12:26 p.m. Wood is questioning new juror. She has a bachelor’s degree in religion. He asks if the defendant has different religious beliefs than her, will it affect her ability to be fair. She says it won’t have any affect. The woman says she has seen articles “here and there” but she doesn’t watch the news or get on news apps.

12:23 p.m. The juror wrote on his questionnaire that Chad Daybell is a “weak character.” Prior moves to strike the juror for cause. Boyce grants the request and the man is dismissed.

12:21 p.m. Prior now questions the juror and asks if he has concerns. He responds that he’s not concerned – he’s neutral – but he does have an opinion.

12:20 p.m. “I’m naturally very curious and analytical to a fault,” the juror says. He says he could listen and be fair as a juror.

12:18 p.m. The juror says he believes the defendant is guilty. Blake asks the juror about his prior service as a juror in a civil case. He says he felt he was able to carry out his duties in that case.

12:16 p.m. This juror says he has followed the case in the media and has formed an opinion. He wrote on his questionnaire, “If he didn’t participate, he did nothing to prevent what happened.”

12:14 p.m. Juror is dismissed due to hardship – her upcoming trip. She is shown out and another juror is brought in.

12:13 p.m. Wixom asks judge to dismiss the juror due to the upcoming trip.

12:11 p.m. Wixom asks about the woman’s health. She says there isn’t anything that would prevent her from serving on the jury.

12:09 p.m. The juror indicated on her questionnaire that a defendant is probably guilty if they don’t take the witness stand and they should testify on their own behalf.

12:03 p.m. Rocky Wixom is questioning this juror. She has a vacation planned for June 1 to the Oregon Coast. Her trip is half paid for and her family has taken time off to be there.

12:01 p.m. Prosecutors and Prior have no further questions for the juror. She will remain in the pool. She leaves the courtroom and another juror is brought in.

12:00 p.m. The juror wrote on her questionnaire that she is opposed to the death penalty but her feelings would not prevent her from rendering a verdict of death if the state proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

11:55 a.m. Prior asking the woman about a question she answered on the questionnaire about defendants testifying in their own trials. He also asks about her husband’s disability. “Would it be fair to say you’re his emotional support? Is that going to be a hardship?” Prior says he wants her focused on this case and doesn’t want her overly concerned about her husband. “This is going to be a ten week job for you. We’re here on a very serious situation. I want to make sure you’re going to be ok.”

11:53 a.m. The woman says her husband is on disability and ten weeks is a long way to be from home. “We’re just so used to doing everything together.” Prior begins to question the juror and his mic is off. Chad Daybell leans over and turns it on. Prior thanks him and Chad smiles.

11:50 a.m. Batey is questioning this juror about media exposure. The woman says she saw this case on the news. “Until I actually see the evidence and hear more of the background of why or why it didn’t, that’s when I feel like I will know more than just what I’ve seen on TV.”

11:47 a.m. There are no further questions for this juror. She will not be dismissed at this point. Once 49 others advance past voir dire, the defense and prosecutors will begin striking. Another juror is brought in.

11:45 a.m. The woman does not believe the death penalty should be the punishment in every case and says she will follow instructions of the court. Wood has no questions for the woman. Prior now asking the woman her thoughts about testimony related to the death of young children. The woman says she would not be affected because of the age of the victims.

11:42 a.m. Boyce says capital punishment will now be discussed. The woman says she is in support of the death penalty.

11:40 a.m. This juror has four kids at home – from 8 – 12 years old. Prior asks if the woman is the primary caretaker. She says her husband works from home and there is some flexibility. She homeschools kids part-time and her husband is very involved in the homeschool process.

11:37 a.m. Juror leaves, another juror walks in. Wood asks the woman if she has ever been charged with a crime in Florida. The woman says no. She says she has seen some headlines about the case but never clicked on them to read details.

11:35 a.m. Prior asks several questions about the man’s financial situation and he admits it would be a hardship based on his employer policy. Prior moves to have the man dismissed. Prosecutor does not object. The man is dismissed.

11:33 a.m. Juror says he came across the story looking at the news but didn’t delve into it. Prior asks if it would be a financial hardship for the man to support his family if he was off for up to ten weeks. He says he is checking with his employer policy on jury duty.

11:30 a.m. This juror has a 3-month-old baby. He also works early morning hours. He says the baby and his job would not create a hardship. Blake asks if he has any concerns about being sequestered. He says it would be difficult but if this was his civic duty, he would make it work.

11:29 a.m. All jurors leave the courtroom except one. They will now be asked questions one at a time.

11:26 a.m. Prior has no further questions. Boyce returns back to the juror who has a trip in early June and may have employment issues. He tells the judge the vacation is not a hardship and he would be able to focus on the case. Individual voir dire will now take place.

11:25 a.m. Prior asks jurors if they promise to review the entirety of the evidence before rendering a decision. All cards go up.

11:22 a.m. Prior asking the jurors about what constitutes an agreement. He asks several of them to answer individually. Blake asks if the prosecutors can approach. She says Prior is mistaking the law. Boyce tells Prior is getting into instructions and that will be addressed later.

11:17 a.m. Prior asks how many jurors have seen anything in the media about the case. Several cards go up.

11:15 a.m. Back in the courtroom. Jurors are being brought back in and livestream will begin shortly.

10:57 a.m. Taking a 15-20 minute recess. Back when court is in session.

10:55 a.m. Blake asks to approach the judge. Sidebar is called and white noise plays in the courtroom.

10:53 a.m. Prior questioning a juror whose father was a police officer. He explains that officers can be influenced or swayed or could have an agenda. “Would you agree that the police officers role is to investigate the facts and report the facts?” Jurors agree.

10:50 a.m. Prior asks jurors if they know what bias means. “You’re going to hear from a lot of witnesses. Does everybody agree that there are witnesses who can be influenced and coerced into saying things that aren’t necessarily true or false?” Jurors agree. Prior asks if jurors believe law enforcement could be swayed or influenced. A few raise their cards.

10:47 a.m. Prior says he doesn’t care what any of “these people” think – points to all of us sitting in the gallery. He says he cares what the jury thinks and Daybell is entitled to a fair, unbiased jury.

10:44 a.m. One juror – a mother of 5 – says being sequestered would not be the worst thing in the world. Many laugh and smile. If a guilty verdict comes back, the jury would be sequestered until they determine whether Chad Daybell gets life in prison or the death penalty.

10:41 a.m. A reminder that Prior is representing Chad Daybell alone. He has never done a death penalty case and very little criminal work. Lori Vallow had Jim Archibald and John Thomas, two death penalty qualified attorneys with years of experience.

10:39 a.m. Prior says this is a big commitment of the jurors – two and a half months. The consequences are significant and he wants anyone with hesitations or concerns to raise their hands.

10:37 a.m. The man being questioned is an engineer. Prior says his ex-wife is an engineer and she will kill him for announcing that. He proceeds to question the juror.

10:34 a.m. Prior asks the jury pool is there are any who do not want to be here today. Nobody raises their card. “You’re all very excited to be here?” One juror responds that he wants to do his civic duty but he’s a year and a half into a new job so he questions how his job will be affected by being here.

10:32 a.m. Prosecutors are done questioning. John Prior walks up to the podium and introduces himself. He tells the jurors there are no wrong answers – he just needs them to be honest.

10:30 a.m. Blake tells the jurors religion will be discussed in the trial and asks if they would have any issues if beliefs they don’t agree with are discussed in the trial. None of them raise their cards.

10:27 a.m. Blake stresses that the jury must follow the instructions the court gives even if they think they know it better. They must be followed specifically. Blake says the state does not need to prove the exact cause of death. Remember in Vallow’s case, experts were never able to determine how Tylee Ryan died. Tammy Daybell and JJ Vallow died of asphyxiation.

10:23 a.m. Lindsey Blake now questioning the pool of potential jurors. She mentions she has a son who asks for cheesy eggs in the morning. There is a specific recipe he always wants. If she modifies the recipe, he doesn’t always like it. She asks if they know people who want things done a certain way. She asks a juror – a mother of 4 – to explain. She says her kids are similar with food preferences.

10:20 a.m. Chad Daybell looks at the jury as they are being questioned. Shows no emotion when the autopsy photos are mentioned.

10:18 a.m. Wood talks about this case being about murder, conspiracy to commit murder and insurance fraud. He says two of the victims are children and the other is a mother. “There will be some autopsy photos in this case. They are hard to look at. There’s no way around it.” He asks the jurors if they will be able to still weigh all the evidence properly even with the difficult photos.

10:15 a.m. Juror who earlier said he wouldn’t get more than two weeks of paid time off is excused.

10:12 a.m. Wood asks jurors if they believe everything they see on the news. He says this case has had a massive amount of media coverage. He asks the group if any of them have seen anything on the news that would prohibit them from being fair. None of them raise their hands.

10:10 a.m. Wood tells jurors they may think some laws are unfair but they need to follow the law as it’s given by the court. He asks if they agree to hold up their red cards. All of them raise their cards but one juror says he has an issue with the death penalty. Wood says they will get to that issue.

10:08 a.m. Rob Wood will do voir dire on behalf of the state. He introduces himself and tells them if they are asked anything uncomfortable, they should tell them. He asks them to be totally honest. He asks one juror what he thinks by the phrase “brutal honesty.” Juror responds that it means not mincing words, telling full truth. Wood asks them to be “brutally honest.”

10:06 a.m. Boyce asks if any jurors have religious or moral position that would prohibit them from rendering a fair and impartial verdict. Nobody raises their hand. He asks if any jurors have a reason why they couldn’t give full and undivided attention to the case. Nobody raises their hand.

10:05 a.m. Boyce asks if any jurors have an opinion that Daybell is guilty or not guilty. Nobody raises hand.

10:03 a.m. Judge asks if any of the jurors are related to Chad Daybell. None raise their hand.

10:02 a.m. All attorneys back in the courtroom. Boyce says the charges will now be discussed. He asks the jurors if there is anything about the charges that would prohibit them from being fair and impartial. None of the jurors raise their hands.

9:58 a.m. John Prior asks for a sidebar with the judge. All the attorneys and the judge leave the courtroom.

9:55 a.m. When Boyce asks if any members of the pool have heard about the case, several raise their hands. Boyce then asks if any of the jurors already have a state of mind that would prevent them from being impartial. “In other words, how many already have an opinion?” Two jurors raise their hands.

9:53 a.m. Another juror raises his hand when asked if there would be a hardship. He says there would be a financial hardship if he went 8-10 weeks without working. Another juror says she’s in school and it could cause problems.

9:51 a.m. Prosecutors and defense do not object to releasing the juror. She is escorted out of the courtroom.

9:49 a.m. Juror is excused because of his hardship. He is escorted out of the courtroom. Another juror says she has two family events during the time period including her daughter’s graduation from college at the beginning of May.

9:47 a.m. State doesn’t object to the hardship issue he has raised but they have questions about a camping trip the man has planned in May. They will come back to him. Another juror says he is the sole provider, his wife has an illness so it would be difficult for him to serve on the jury and his job may lay him off.

9:44 a.m. Boyce tells jurors if they are released, they should not be offended. He says if they are required to serve as a juror, it will be for 8-10 weeks. He asks if this will create a hardship on the jurors, their families or occupations. One man says that will create a problem as he will only get 80 hours of paid time off. The rest will be unpaid.

9:40 a.m. Boyce gives special instruction to jury. He explains that Chad is charged with conspiracy in connection with Lori and Alex Cox, her brother. Boyce says jurors must only consider Chad – not the other two.

9:38 a.m. Clerk administers oath to potential jurors. Seated next to me is Tom Evans, a juror from Lori Vallow’s trial. We posted an in-depth interview with him last night. He had some interesting insight – including the fact that if death penalty was an option in Vallow’s case, he would have sentence her to death. You can watch our interview here.

9:36 a.m. Boyce explains to potential jurors that state must prove Daybell committed the crimes he’s accused of. The defense does not need to prove innocence. Boyce reads the jurors the charges and says they must follow instructions.

9:34 a.m. During Lori Vallow’s trial, Rexburg Det. Ray Hermosillo sat in the courtroom every single day. During this trial, Madison Co. Sheriff Chief Deputy Vince Kaaiakamanu will be the officer in here daily. He was a detective with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office until earlier this year when he took a new job with Sheriff Ron Ball in Madison County. Ball was a detective with Rexburg Police until he was appointed sheriff. Got all that?

9:33 a.m. Judge thanks jurors for being here, says 18 total jurors will be picked – 12 jurors, 6 alternates. Clerk taking roll call.

9:30 a.m. First group of 16 jurors are brought in. 8 men, 8 women. Judge asks the livestream to start. You can watch here.

9:25 a.m. At the defense table is John Prior and Chad Daybell. At the prosecution table is Madison Co. Prosecutor Rob Wood, Fremont County Prosecutor Lindsey Blake, Idaho Deputy Attorney General Ingrid Batey and Fremont Co. Deputy Prosecutor Rocky Wixom.

9:24 a.m. Boyce says Lori Vallow’s trial and conviction should not be discussed at all.

9:23 a.m. Livestream will begin shortly. Judge wants to talk about some things before the video starts. There will be 16 jurors brought in at a time. Fifty prospective jurors will be brought in. 12 jurors will be chosen, 6 will be alternates. 16 peremptory challenges on each side will be permitted.

9:22 a.m. Judge Boyce has entered the courtroom. All attorneys are at their tables.

9:02 a.m. Chad Daybell is dressed in a light blue shirt, khaki pants and a tie alone at the defense table. His attorney and the prosecutors are meeting with Judge Boyce in chambers.

9 a.m. It’s day one of jury voir dire in the Chad Daybell case. Voir dire is “a preliminary examination of a witness or a juror by a judge or counsel.” There are about 20 people in the courtroom gallery including media, public, etc.