The defense team of Bryan Kohberger is expressing their displeasure at a judge’s order that the parties involved in the quadruple student murders case in Idaho refrain from approaching prospective jurors.
This comes before a change-of-venue hearing, which might result in the trial being held in a different county from the one where the murders occurred.
The defense attorney, Anne Taylor, has taken steps to get Judge John Judge’s injunction on a potential death sentence case removed. According to Taylor, the defense’s poll of prospective jurors complied with all applicable laws.
A hearing shall be scheduled as soon as possible, and until further notice from the court, neither side may contact prospective jurors.
According to David Gelman, a defense attorney and former prosecutor from New Jersey who has been keeping tabs on the case, the contentious poll is an element of the defense’s strategy to be ready for a hearing to change the venue.
‘Sampling’ the possible jury pool to examine potential prejudice in Latah County was done by the defense’s expert, who was contracted to collect adequate data to support their motion. A survey of 400 townspeople was used for this purpose.
Bryan Edelman, a social psychologist employed by Taylor’s office, conducted the survey. Taylor admitted in her affidavit that Edelman is incorrect on several of her points about the media’s effect. Edelman, however, said in a sworn statement that not a single inquiry included anything that was not already publicly known and disclosed.
Bill Thompson, the prosecuting attorney for Latah County, expressed his disapproval of the questions in a petition under seal last week, requesting that the court suspend the poll.
In his papers, Thompson claimed that the defense had broken a sealed directive concerning the survey by leaking material that could not be used in court and by discussing case details.
Taylor requests that he reverse the ruling so that surveys may restart in preparation for the next hearing.
On November 13, 2022, Ph.D. student Bryan Kohberger (29), pursuing a criminology degree at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, murdered four undergraduates at the neighboring University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho.
Xana Kernodle (20), Kaylee Goncalves (21), Madison Mogen (21), and Ethan Chapin (20) were slain in the home invasion. Two other roommates made it out alive.
The defense survey aimed to contact 400 county inhabitants who were 18 and above.
