Haun Jury Pool Is Slowly Pared Down

Jury selection in the murder trial of Diana Haun continued Thursday as attorneys pared down the number of qualified jurors able to serve on the high-profile Ventura County case.

So far, 34 prospective panelists have been asked to return to Santa Barbara Superior Court for additional questioning after a week of individual interviews.

An additional nine prospective jurors are scheduled for private interviews with the judge and attorneys today and Monday.

The remaining jury candidates represent a fraction of the 250 southern Santa Barbara County residents summoned for the Haun case.

Given the small number of returning candidates, the judge has decided to summon an additional 200 or more prospective jurors who will begin the process July 17.

Judge Frederick A. Jones hopes to seat an 18-member jury--12 regular jurors plus six alternates--for what is expected to be a lengthy trial.

Haun is accused of kidnapping and killing the wife of her longtime lover, Michael Dally, last year. Sherri Dally disappeared on May 6, 1996, and her remains were found by a search party north of Ventura a month later.

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Haun and Dally, who will be tried on the same charges after Haun’s case ends.

By law, jury candidates must be questioned about their views on the death penalty before serving on a capital murder case. Throughout the week, potential panelists have shared their views on capital punishment, many saying they simply could not vote to take another person’s life.

“This is something I would hope no one would ever make me make a decision on,” said one woman questioned Thursday afternoon. “I don’t know if I could give the death penalty.”

Of the last 10 people interviewed Thursday, four said they were opposed to the death penalty, five said they were uncertain or did not feel strongly one way or the other, and one said he was strongly in favor of the death penalty.

Of those people, seven were called back, including one opposed to capital punishment, one in favor of it and all five whose views fell somewhere in between.