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Author: Curt Anderson
Horecia Walker was quoted in an article today on jury selection in the trial of John Evander Couey, who faces the death penalty in connection with the slaying of Jessica Lunsford. The trial was moved from Citrus County, where the crime occurred, to Broward County because of extensive pretrial media coverage. The article noted that Couey's taped confession was thrown out by a judge because Couey hadn't been allowed to consult a lawyer as he had requested. Ms. Walker, a former Public Defender in Broward County, indicated that she believed that "the prosecution still has a very strong case. here is a lot of physical evidence. I think the prosecution has a very good chance of winning." Ms. Walker further indicated that despite the fact that the intense pretrial publicity has resulted in many people in Miami being familiar with the case, "it's still likely an impartial jury can be seated in such a large and diverse urban area" as South Florida." With respect to the lawyer's jury selection strategy, Ms. Walker stated that because this is a very emotional case "both sides are going to look for jurors who, despite their sympathies, are able to render a fair and impartial verdict."