Jury selection grinds to halt with outburst

May 18—In an event courtroom observers said they had never witnessed, the voir dire process of selecting jurors in the Thomas Mack Arnold Sr. murder trial came to a screeching halt and the courtroom emptied when one of the prospective jurors suddenly collapsed to the floor.

The woman's screams could be heard throughout the Justice Center.

Voir dire is the process used by the parties to select a fair and impartial jury. During voir dire, the jury panel is questioned by both parties' lawyers.

Those called to service were in the process of being questioned about personal feelings toward drug addition and use when the juror fell to the floor in inconsolable screams.

Criminal Court Judge Gary Mckenzie quickly ordered the woman helped from the jury box and the courtroom cleared. Attorneys observing the process said they had never witnessed this.

The woman was immediately dismissed from consideration as a juror.

"Obviously there was an emotional outburst about the nature of the case ... drug use," Mckenzie told the panels of prospective jurors once court reconvened. "We're going to hear witnesses with drug addiction ... it is an unfortunate part of society. That's the world we live in.

"Anyone here have issue with witnesses' drug use? Any problems?" McKenzie asked the jurors.

No hands were raised.

Attorneys finally settled on 14 jurors — eight men and two women — to weigh evidence in the case. Two of the 14 are alternates in case of emergencies affecting other jurors.

Those two will be dismissed at the end of the proceeding and will not be with the final 12 jurors who will deliberate guilt or innocence.

Michael Moser may be reached at mmoser@crossville-chronicle.com