By Lisa Zahner | Last updated at 12:15 p.m.VERO BEACH — Assistant State Attorney David Dodd began interviewing 50 potential jurors at about 10:30 a.m. and the court has not yet selected any of the seven jurors needed (six plus one alternate) to decide County Administrator Joe Baird’s DUI trial. Defense attorney Bobby Guttridge said the prosecution is about halfway through interviewing the 50 and that Dodd will finish after lunch, then the defense will have its opportunity to begin questioning. The group broke for a 70-minute lunch, as the winnowing is expected to be a long process to resume at 1:25 p.m. Jurors were released to go anywhere in the courthouse or in the neighborhood, or even home for lunch.Depending on the progress made today, the trial may begin Tuesday or Wednesday. Judge David Morgan has called more jurors than normal today, in anticipation that many would need to be disqualified from serving on the Baird case due to prior knowledge or opionions in the case. This morning, attorneys received basic demographic information on the jury pool and have been questioning potential jurors to narrow down the group. None who entered the courtroom this morning have been excused. Jurors are seated by number in the gallery and will be moved up into the jury box once selected.Morgan said the jury pool for the Baird case would also be available to any other judges for trials this week, so someone released from the group to try the DUI case may serve on another trial.Morgan instructed jurors on what is appropriate in their responses to questions to avoid someone saying something that would affect another juror’s knowledge or opinion of the case. Once the group is narrowed down, jurors may be interviewed separately, if necessary, to determine impartiality. Jurors will be instructed to insulate themselves from any media coverage and not to talk about the case, as is customary. The press will be allowed both in the jury selection room and in the courtroom during the trial, but will not be permitted to speak with or photograph jurors or potential jurors.Judge Morgan had granted a continuance in July to give attorneys more time to depose witnesses and review evidence. Defense attorney Bobby Guttridge had filed several motions to suppress evidence last week, but the traffic stop and the relevance of most of the evidence and statements were kept in the record to be presented to jurors.Baird was arrested on May 16 following a traffic stop on just west of 6th Avenue on Miracle Mile in Vero Beach. After conducting roadside sobriety tests, the Vero Beach Police Department made the arrest. Baird refused to submit to a breathalyzer test, so the case hinges upon whether or not the video evidence of the roadside tests and the testimony of officers will be sufficient to prove Baird was driving while impaired by alcohol.Dodd, who contended in the evidentiary hearing last week that the video, combined with statements by Baird and information obtained by police investigators, should prove the State’s case. Guttridge will counter this evidence, much of which he had hoped to keep out of the trial.
