Tweeting from the jury pool as Asheville murder trial gets underway

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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A first-degree murder trial is getting underway in Asheville. The case involves the 2007 brutal beating death of Alexander Chriss, a man who lived in western Buncombe County. Three people were charged in the case, but the first one to go to trial is Brandon Gross. He has pleaded not guilty to the homicide charge. The state is seeking the death penalty in the case. (Go here and scroll down for a brief summary of the case.)

I had a front row seat to proceedings on Thursday because I was issued a jury summons. Attorneys were attempting to seat a jury. They had agreed on nine jurors and were picking three more, plus two alternates. I had to sit and watch as the attorneys worked through my pool of about 45 or so people. They asked jurors questions about their background, their ability to impartially weigh evidence and their stance on the death penalty. 

At the end of the day, I was finally called and asked all those questions. In the end, it was my opposition to the death penalty that had me dismissed by the state’s attorneys. I can’t vote to kill someone. 

I’ll have to check back and find out if a full jury has been seated. The trial is expected to last up to two weeks.

You can read my tweets from the day here.