Sara Dorsey's Couey Court Blog for Thursday, July 13

8:27 am -- Good morning Couey court blog readers! We are awaiting the start of Day 4. Today is the first day of round two questioning. Of the 163 people questioned since Monday, 58 have moved on to this next round and will be questioned more today.

Court officials tell us that all the potential jurors will sit in the same room today and will be asked general questions. We know, for sure, one question will be the potential jurors' feelings on the death penalty. Each side gets 12 strikes and can strike a potential juror for no reason. If you get a strike, you are free to leave and stand no chance of being on this jury.

We are a little sleepy. Yesterday, court ended early and we got out of here about 7:30 pm! We are watching court officals trying to determine how to fit the 58 potential jurors and the media all in one courtroom. We all have our fingers crossed today that court officials can fishish this thing up today. If they do that it is likely the judge could schedule opening statements to be made on Friday in Citrus County. Court officials say they will start the day after jury selection complete, unless completion happens on a Friday.

That's about it. I'll have more when this day gets started.

10:03 -- We have no idea what is going on, but court has still not started. Couey is not in the courtroom yet. Court officicals just told me a juror got mixed up with what time they were required to be at court.

I'm worried this could mess up the day and drive this thing into Friday.

10:20 -- Court has finally started. A potential juror was late. One has been dismissed for medical reasons, so 57 will be questioned today. The defense asked for another change of venue -- that's three days in a row -- and the judge denied the request.

10:45 -- We started with 57 potential jurors. Before questioning began, the judge asked for any jurors who have heard anything that could be considered inappropriate to come forward. Each juror is telling the judge privately what he or she knows. So far, one juror has been excused. So we are now at 56. The process continues.

10:50 -- Ok, jurors are still talking to the judge privately about anything they might have heard over the last few days that could be considered inappropriate. Another lady was just dismissed. We are now at 55 potential jurors in the pool. Another man is talking to the judge. He was just dismissed. Another woman after him was just let go... we are now at 53. Another man has just been released... the number stands at 52.

10:57 -- 51 jurors now stand. But there is a line still waiting to talk to the judge about things they may have learned about this trial in the days they've been waiting to be called back into court. A man is talking right now. We're down to 50. Now a lady is up... oops she's been released. Ok, 49 now is the number that will go through the second round of questioning.

11:15 -- Ok, the judge just told these people that if a jury is seated today they will be sequestered today. That means someone else will have to go get their belongings. They will not get anytime to get their life in order.

We think the judge probably made that decision because he just lost more than 10 jurors who had heard things about this case since they were first individually qustioned. They are under a court order not to talk about the case or listen to any reports about it. Apparently, either by accident or on purpose, some of them got information they shouldn't have.

Now the judge is asking the pool how many would face a hardship by being sequestered immediately.