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Last updated on Monday, October 14, 2013
(FORT WAYNE) - Jury selection for the trial of Indianapolis Metro Police Officer David Bisard got underway about an hour late Monday morning.
So far three jurors have been seated and three were excused from Monday's questioning. Six more potential jurors are being questioned Monday afternoon out of a pool of about 45 people.
Bisard is on trial for causing a crash in August 2010 that led to the death of Eric Wells and critical injuries to two others, Kurt Weekly and Mary Mills.
If the jury of 12 people and four alternates is seated by Tuesday, opening statements could begin by Wednesday.
The trial of David Bisard on reckless homicide and drunken driving charges was moved to Allen Superior Court in Fort Wayne because of extensive pretrial publicity in central Indiana. Judge John Surbeck scheduled jury selection to begin Monday.
Bisard changed from his striped jail jumpsuit into business clothes. He rose and greeted the possible jurors.
The morning began with Prosecutor Denise Robinson questioning the first group of potential jurors, which consisted of five women and one man. Only one of them had any knowledge of Bisard's case, and all six said they felt nothing prevented them from being fair and impartial. However, some of the potential jurors believe people in authority should be held to a higher standard.
Bisard's attorney John Kautzman asked the potential jurors to withhold judgment until all the evidence is heard.
Judge Surbeck has ruled two vials of blood showing Bisard was legally drunk hours after a fatal crash can be used against him at his trial. The vials have been the subject of a drawn-out legal debate in the more than three years since Bisard's patrol car plowed into the motorcycles stopped at a traffic light in August 2010.
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