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Jury in Batiste murder trial yet to be selected |
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Tuesday, 27 October 2009 |
By KELLY DANIELS
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A jury has yet to be selected for the Oktibbeha County Circuit Court trial of a former Mississippi State student charged with slaying his roommate.
Bobby Batiste, 29, of 250 Sinai Road, Preston, was charged with the March 2008 slaying of his then roommate, Andreas “Andy” Galanis, 28, of St. Martin.
Because an alleged robbery is also involved in the murder, this week’s trial is a capital murder case, which means that Batiste could receive the death penalty if convicted.
District Attorney Forrest Allgood finished his voir dire — the process by which prospective jurors are questioned about their backgrounds and potential biases before being chosen to sit on a jury — at around 4:30 p.m. Monday after discovering who could not put aside their feelings about the death penalty if selected as a juror.
Batiste’s defense team, which consists of Starkville attorney Mark Williamson and James Lappan from the Office of Capital Defense Counsel, had about 30 minutes to ask questions and is expected to continue questioning prospective jurors when trial proceedings resume this morning.
Lappan asked the pool of anyone worked in the medical field and, thus, have been in the position to “hold life in their hands.”
If the jury convicts Batiste, it has three options: Voting unanimously for the death sentence, Voting unanimously for life in prison without parole or reporting to Judge Jim Kitchens, who is presiding over the case, that they cannot decide.
Batiste has been incarcerated since his initial arrest more than a year and a half ago and remains held without bond.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 28 October 2009 )
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