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Posted on Tue, Apr. 06, 2004

Jury pool reaches 17 potentials

By Brian Anderson

CONTRA COSTA TIMES

REDWOOD CITY - Officials moved a step closer to seating a jury in the Scott Peterson trial Monday, qualifying two additional prospective jurors for the final phase of the selection process.

After seven days of questioning possible jurors, Judge Alfred Delucchi has tallied a pool of 17 San Mateo County residents from which to pick a final jury panel. They hope to find about 50 more.

The two most recent additions -- an employment recruiter and a high school teacher -- said they had heard about the case, but could be fair. One, the teacher, said she had even mentioned to someone that she believed Peterson might have killed his wife, Laci, 27, and the couple's unborn son.

The move prompted prosecutors to challenge the woman. But Delucchi noted the woman also had said Peterson might be innocent and that she agreed to set aside any prior thoughts. She was asked to return May 13 for the final stage of jury selection.

Also qualifying was a headhunter for Bank of America Securities. She said in her questionnaire that police could be overly zealous in their arrest of someone in a high-profile case. But she said Monday that she would treat officers called to testify during the trial with the same fairness as everyone else.

Questioned about her ability to be a judge of the facts, the woman said she had experience on the other side of things.

"I'm Asian," she said, adding that she grew up in a world of white people. "I've been judged all my life. My parents were Chinese. They lived in Taiwan. I know what it's like to be judged."

Jury selection is scheduled to continue this morning. Delucchi said as many as six people could qualify today, a number that he pointed out may yet be elusive.

"If we get three," he said before adjourning for the day, "we may be lucky."

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/special_packages/laci_peterson/8365904.htm