Published May 21, 2015
Lawyers for an Alabama woman are asking a judge to end the secrecy surrounding jury selection in the trial of an Alabama woman charged in her granddaughter's running death.
Attorneys for Joyce Hardin Garrard say barring the public from court during the questioning of prospective jurors is unconstitutional.
The defense filed a motion late Monday asking Etowah County Circuit Judge Billy Ogletree to open the process to the public.
Jury questioning began Monday behind closed doors, and a second day is set for Tuesday.
Authorities contend Garrard killed 9-year-old Savannah Hardin by forcing her to run for hours as punishment for a lie. The 59-year-old old woman says she's innocent.
Jury selection is typically done in open court, and the judge hasn't publicly explained his decision to bar the public.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/defense-seeks-open-jury-selection-in-alabama-womans-trial-over-granddaughters-running-death