BISMARCK - The number of prospective jurors for the final phase of jury selection in Moe Gibbs' second murder trial reached 42 this morning.
The court is hoping to have 40 to 45 prospective jurors move onto the second stage before the pool will be whittled down to 14 jurors, including two alternates, to hear the case. Today marks the fourth day of jury selection.
Eight prospective jurors appeared this morning, with five moving onto the second phase. Three people who appeared today were dismissed for various reasons and a fourth individual, a nurse, who appeared Wednesday was dismissed after telling the court being a juror would cause him a financial hardship.
Eight more prospective jurors will be questioned this afternoon. The court will then randomly draw 36 names from the panel for the second round. Those individuals will be asked to appear Monday for the final round of jury selection.
Opening arguments for the case are expected to take place Monday afternoon.
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Gibbs, 35, is facing a Class AA felony murder charge for the Sept. 13, 2006 death of Valley City State University senior Mindy Morgenstern.
A jury in Minot, N.D., deadlocked 6-6- in July over whether Gibbs strnagled and cut the throat of the 22-year-old New Salem, N.D., native in her Valley City, N.D. apartment.
Gibbs, a former Barnes County jailer, lived in the same building at the time of his Sept. 20, 2006 arrest. He faces a maximum sentence of life without parole if convicted.
For more on this story, see Friday's Forum. More prospective jurors selected today for Gibbs' second murder trial; opening arguments could begin Monday Brittany Lawonn 20071025
