Potential jurors report Friday for second try at Seman case mafter mistrial

YOUNGSTOWN

About 160 potential jurors are expected today to report to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for the second attempt at picking a jury in the Robert Seman capital murder case.

Jurors will report about 1:30 p.m., take their oaths. then fill out paperwork. After they are done, individual questioning of jurors is expected to begin next week.

Seman, 48, of Green, could face the death penalty if convicted in the March 30, 2015, deaths of Corinne Gump, 10, and her grandparents, William and Judith Schmidt, during a March 30, 2015, arson at their Powers Way home on the South Side. He’s charged with aggravated murder in each death.

Jury selection was just starting in the case in September when it was halted after one of the members of the jury pool made disparaging remarks about Seman to other jurors. Defense attorneys asked for a mistrial, which Judge Maureen Sweeney granted.

To avoid a repeat of that this time, Judge Sweeney has instituted a number of measures, starting with bringing in jurors on a Friday afternoon, which is typically the slowest day of the week, allowing for more deputies who work security at the courthouse to be available.

Jurors also will be separated into several small groups, and each will be watched over by a deputy who can monitor conversations and report anything inappropriate to the judge.

Read more about the case in Friday's Vindicator or on VIndy.com.