Jury Selection Begins In Dominion-Fox News Defamation Trial
13.04.2023 - 14:33
/ deadline.com
Jury selection started on Thursday in Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, as both sides appear to be headed for a trial next week.
At the 7th floor of the Leonard Williams Justice Center in downtown Wilmington, DE, jurors are being questioned one by one behind closed doors in proceedings led by Judge Eric Davis and up to four attorneys and other representatives from each side. Fox plans to bring in a jury consultant to that part of the process.
In recent days, the judge and attorneys have hashed over questions for the jurors. Davis has instructed attorneys to avoid questions that would be “previewing” the case. Example: A proposed Dominion query on whether jurors “personally know Steve Bannon.” He indicated to attorneys that he wanted to avoid questions of how a juror voted in 2020, or whether Joe Biden was “properly elected.” Rather, he said, he wanted to know whether jurors can be “fair and impartial.”
Both sides, naturally, will be watching throughout the day whether any juror shows signs of bias. But the judge wants to keep much of the process of one-on-one questioning sealed, telling attorneys that he is worried about the identities of jurors being disclosed given the high profile nature of the case.
One question that will be allowed: “Do you regularly watch Fox News programs on television or any other medium, including social media, and, if so, will this affect your ability to be fair and impartial?” Conversely, the judge signaled that he would also allow a question, “Do you avoid Fox News programs and does this affect your ability to be fair and impartial?”
As high profile as the case is, drawing reporters from around the world, the judge is not allowing cameras, unlike