Today could be the last day of jury selection in the case of the man accused of killing former student body president Eve Carson.
After getting off to a slow start, Judge Allen Baddour told potential jurors Thursday he is hopeful arguments in the trial of Laurence Alvin Lovette Jr. will begin Monday or Tuesday.
Three jurors were selected Thursday, bringing the total number to nine.
Twelve people will sit on the jury. Baddour hasn’t yet determined whether two or three alternates will be selected.
Four women and five men have been selected to serve on the predominately Caucasian jury that now includes one black male.
Attorneys have excused jurors who had connections to the University and strong opinions about the case.
Lovette is charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, first-degree kidnapping and felony larceny in connection with Carson’s death. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Carson was found dead with five gunshot wounds in a Chapel Hill intersection in March 2008.
The defense continued to ask jurors about their familiarity with the felony murder rule.
The rule states that people who commit or attempt to commit certain felonies can be charged with first degree murder if a death occurs during that commission.
Throughout the jury selection, the defense has objected to how the prosecution phrased questions about the rule, calling the description incomplete on Thursday.
Assistant University Editor Elizabeth Johnson contributed reporting.
Contact the City Editor at city@dailytarheel.com.
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