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Jury seated in manslaughter trial of Susan Lorincz
A jury has been seated in the manslaughter trial of Susan Lorincz, the woman accused of shooting and killing an Ocala mother named Ajike "AJ" Owens. That's a first-degree felony, meaning prosecutors believe Lorincz is responsible for Owens' death, regardless of whether she meant to kill her. Opening statements are expected to begin on Tuesday.
MARION COUNTY, Fla. - Monday was jury selection in the trial of Susan Lorincz, the woman accused of shooting and killing an Ocala mother named Ajike "AJ" Owens.
Lorincz is charged with manslaughter with a firearm. That's a first-degree felony, meaning prosecutors believe Lorincz is responsible for Owens' death, regardless of whether she meant to kill her.
The state, the defense, and the judge were all trying to figure out who would be a good fit for this case. They tried to weed out any biases, starting with a huge group and whittling it down.
Also in court Monday was Owens' mother, Pamela Dias.
"To pursue and fight for justice for my daughter," she said.
She said she’s now taking care of her daughter’s four children.
"Today is the very first day of school for the children, as you all may be aware. It was a very emotional day," Dias added.
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Monday was dedicated to finding the six jurors and two alternates who will decide whether Lorincz is guilty of manslaughter.
The judge told jurors that Owens went to confront Lorincz about her treatment of Owens' children. Lorincz is accused of firing a shot through her door, which hit and killed Owens.
"This case, I’ll tell you, has had some pre-trial publicity in the past," Judge Robert Hodges warned. "Set aside anything you’ve heard so you can hear this case fairly without any sort of improper influence."
The reasoning is knowing things about the case ahead of time could influence a person’s opinion about a defendant’s guilt.
For instance, there's been reporting on racist statements and racial slurs Lorincz reportedly used about Owens' children. The judge is excluding some of that from being presented in trial.
The judge also asked individuals whether they had any pre-developed opinions on the case based on what they’d already heard about it.
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"You do not discharge your firearm if you can’t see what you’re shooting at," one potential juror answered.
"It seemed unnecessary," another candidate for the jury said. "A mother being killed for something that could’ve been avoided. The first thing I thought of was, ‘Why not call police?’"
The attorneys and judge had to sift through to find people they thought could be objective.
That'll be the group deciding whether Lorincz, who just turned 59 years old, will be sent to prison – possibly until she's 90.
The day ended with jurors and alternates being selected. The judge says opening statements will start Tuesday.