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Judge excuses jurors in Seman case
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
About 180 jurors Wednesday were excused in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court from having to serve in the capital murder case of Robert Seman.
The jurors were excused for a variety of reasons ranging from financial hardship to health and age.
About 220 jurors remain in the pool and will be reporting Feb. 3 for jury orientation in the case before Judge Maureen Sweeney.
Seman, 48, of Green, could face the death penalty if convicted of the deaths of Corinne Gump, 10, and her grandparents, William and Judith Schmidt, during a March 30, 2015, arson at their Powers Way home just hours before Seman was to go on trial on charges he raped Corinne that carry a possible life sentence.
Attorneys for both sides went over juror questionnaires and agreed on the jurors who were excused. The trial is expected to last several weeks, which could pose a hardship for someone with a medical condition or who has a job that does not reimburse people for jury duty.
This is the second time jurors have been called for the case. In September, jury selection was halted after it was discovered a potential juror was discussing the case with other potential jurors.
Judge Sweeney declared a mistrial then and disqualified the entire jury pool, and a new jury pool was drawn.
Judge Sweeney also is changing some of the procedures for the next group of jurors to come in to try and minimize juror misconduct. Jurors are being called for their first day of orientation on a Friday afternoon, when the courthouse is typically at its least busiest point of the week. Jurors also will be separated into small groups, and a deputy will be assigned to each group to ensure there is no misconduct.
If Seman is found guilty with death-penalty specifications, a second phase, or mitigation phase of the trial, will then take place.
In that phase, defense attorneys will present evidence to the jury on why Seman’s life should be spared. Only a jury can recommend a death sentence, although a judge can overturn that recommendation and instead give him a sentence of life in prison with no parole.