LAKEPORT — County residents turned out to the courthouse Friday for the second day of jury selection in the Paul W. Braden, Orlando J. Lopez co-defendant murder trial.
Braden, 21, and Lopez, 24, have pleaded not guilty to 15 felonies, including murder and five counts of attempted murder, and have denied dozens of special allegations.
Authorities allege the two Clearlake Oaks residents opened fire on a crowd at a Clearlake home on June 18, killing Skyler Rapp, 4, and injuring five people.
Braden and Lopez are standing trial in the same courtroom but have different lawyers and will have separate juries.
One pool of potential jurors arrived Friday morning to possibly sit on Braden”s jury while a second group came in the afternoon for consideration for Lopez”s jury.
The prospective jurors spent their time in court either filling out questionnaires or asking to be excused from service by showing that the estimated three-month trial would create a hardship for them.
The attorneys estimate jury selection could last at least another four days. Fresh pools have been summoned for next week.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
