Jury Selection in Delacruz Murder Trial to Last 6 Weeks

SAN ANGELO, TX – Fourteen potential jurors can skip the capital murder jury selection process after 119^th District Judge Ben Woodward excused them based on hardship requests during Tuesday morning's pre-triral hearing in the Tom Green County Courthouse. 

Attorneys for 26-year-old Isidro Delacruz and District Attorney Allison Palmer agreed to excuse the numerous hardship requests as 300 to 400 potential jurors will meet in the McNease Convention Center on Monday July 31^st for the start of a lengthy jury selection process.

Tom Green County Commissioners designated the convention center as a temporary courthouse for July 31^st, as there is no courtroom large enough to handle the hundreds of potential jurors. 

Delacruz is accused of cutting the throat of 5-year-old Naiya Villegas in 2014.  He was in court today with Defense Attorneys Cowie and Reece. 

Judge Woodward denied two hardship requests from potential jurors who had confirmed travel plans in early August.  Woodward said the court could work around their schedules. 

The judge said that the rest of the 300 to 400 potential jurors should be at the convention center by 9 a.m. on Monday, July 31^st. Potential jurors should expect to spend the whole day at the convention center, lunch will be provided. Potential jurors will not be required to be present in the courtroom for six weeks straight.  Instead, potential jurors will be called in individually in half day intervals to meet with defense and prosecuting attorneys for jury selection. 

The jury selection process is scheduled to take six weeks. 

Also at Tuesday’s pretrial hearing, Palmer requested to have Delacruz examined by a mental health specialist before the trial begins.  The defense attorneys objected, saying they did not want the examination until they know what could be submitted as evidence.

A mental health expert could ask Delacruz about the crime he is accused of and his attorneys say the findings could potentially violate his 5^th amendment right to remain silent and incriminate himself. 

Woodward said he would rule on the mental health evaluation by next Thursday, the next scheduled pretrial hearing.