Why jury selection for the Alec Baldwin trial was faster than typical celebrity trials

IN JURY SELECTION IS NEXT. MY COLLEAGUE BREANA ALBIZU JOINS ME ON WHAT TO EXPECT. BREA. JAFFE THIS IS ANOTHER BIG PART TO THE TRIAL STARTING TOMORROW MORNING, 79 PEOPLE WILL BE WALKING THROUGH THOSE COURTHOUSE DOORS BEHIND ME, BUT ONLY A HANDFUL WILL BE SELECTED. THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO START WITH A BIG POOL OF PEOPLE. IT’S A SLOW AND VERY SELECTIVE PROCESS. DOZENS NARROWED DOWN ON A SPECIAL JURY. IT’S A PROCESS WHERE BOTH SIDES GET TO ASK, REALLY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OF JURORS. ACCORDING TO OUR LEGAL EXPERT JOHN DA, QUESTIONS WILL COME AFTER SOME EXTENSIVE RESEARCH BY BOTH THE PROSECUTION AND DEFENSE. I LOOKED UP THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS TO SEE IF THEY’VE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THIS TRIAL, OR ABOUT GUNS IN GENERAL, OR ALEC BALDWIN IN PARTICULAR. CANDIDATES WILL ALSO BE GROUPED UP TO ENSURE A FASTER PROCESS. THAT MEANS FINDING THE PERFECT JUROR WILL BE KEY IN A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME. WHAT KIND OF JURORS ARE WE LOOKING FOR WHEN IT COMES TO THIS TRIAL? WELL, YOU KNOW, THE ULTIMATE JUROR IS SOMEONE WHO CAN SAY, OH, I MIGHT KNOW ABOUT THE CASE, BUT I DON’T HAVE A OPINION. BUT CERTAIN IDEAS MAY BE FAVORED FOR THE PROSECUTION. YOU’RE GOING TO WANT PEOPLE ON THE JURY WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH GUN SAFETY ISSUES, RIGHT, WHO KNOW ABOUT GUN SAFETY AND WHO ARE GOING TO BE SKEPTICAL OF SOMEBODY POINTING A GUN AT SOMEONE WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT’S IN IT. AS FOR THE DEFENSE, YOU’RE GOING TO WANT PEOPLE WHO WOULD AGREE THAT A FILM SET IS NOT LIKE REAL LIFE AND THAT IF YOU’RE AN ACTOR ON A FILM SET AND SOMEONE HANDS YOU A GUN AND SAYS IT’S SAFE, THERE’S NO REASON TO THINK IT OTHERWISE. BUT EACH SIDE CAN ONLY REJECT A CERTAIN NUMBER OF POTENTIAL JURORS, PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN THEY CAN KICK OFF OR THEY CAN SAY, WE’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE THAT PERSON FOR THIS REASON. AND IT’S A PROCESS OF NARROWING DOWN A LARGE POOL INTO A MUCH SMALLER POOL OF JURORS AND ALTERNATES. NOW, THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR BALDWIN WILL LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT COMPARED TO HANNAH GUTIERREZ-REED TRIAL. FIND OUT WHAT THOSE DECISIONS ARE COMING UP LATER AT SIX. FOR NOW.