Attorneys Continue To Pave The Way Towards The Delacruz Trial

SAN ANGELO, TX – As the jury trial for Isidro Delacruz looms on the horizon, Delacruz was in court yesterday afternoon for another pre-trial hearing. Sporting a new haircut and change of attire, Delacruz entered the courthouse a few minutes before 2:00 p.m.

During the proceedings, Delacruz’s Attorneys Cowie and Reese and District Attorney Allison Palmer discussed details regarding jury selection and a tentative timeline for witness testimonies. Delacruz’s trial is set to begin Monday, July 31st.

Due to the extensive media coverage of the death of 5 year old, Naiya Villegas and the capital punishment attached to the case, the jury pool for Delacruz's trial must be selected from a larger pool of jurors. Over 300 potential jurors will be making their way to San Angelo in the near future for the jury selection process. The high volume of jurors is essential to maintain an unbiased opinion amongst the jurors. The initial selection will take place in an undisclosed location. This will give attorneys the opportunity to introduce themselves, discuss basic concepts of the laws and guide the potential jury through the stages of a trail.

On the 1st day, the jurors will also receive an extensive questionnaire to allow attorney’s to narrow down the list of individual who are best suited to serve as a juror during the trial. After collecting the questionnaires the prosecution and the state will have a week and a half to examine the answers provided and help identify which individuals will be exempt from serving as juror for a variety of valid reasons.

On August 10th the remaining jury pool will be summoned in much smaller groups to begin individual voir dire, the preliminary examination of a witness or a juror by a judge or counsel. The second meeting will allow both defense and state attorneys to ask the possible jurors more in-depth questions. Thereafter, the attorneys will determine the final twelve and alternate jurors for the case. Due to a very busy court schedule and the expected two-week trial period, the second jury selection proceeding will most likely take place at the County Commissioners courtroom.

Based on calculations made by District Attorney Allison Palmer, Palmer told the court that the State should be able to start testimonies on September 25th. This tentative date will allow the court to have subpoenas served in a timely manner and ensure expert witnesses are able to appear in court during their allotted time.

Another issue brought before the court was granting the defense the opportunity to review all law enforcement files. Palmer stated it was her office’s policy to provide all the information pertinent to the case and added that she would like the defense to have access to the state's evidence. Judge Woodward agreed with Palmer's policy, but he maintained that he needed to consult with law enforcement to ensure that they were okay with the defense council having access to information that may not be related to the case, despite the evidence being a part of the State's evidence files. Judge Woodward chose not to rule on the motion during yesterday's court proceedings, but stated he would be inclined to grant a limited disclosure.

The defense began presenting their motions, which including asking Judge Woodward for the days they would need to be in court citing that they need to "replenish their suits since they are from out of town." Palmer replied that she understood a trial this long was a burden for all, but that she would be able to “show [the defense council] where the dry cleaners are.” Judge Woodward replied that he believed a 4-day work week in the court house would allow the parties to have 3 days to process their information and be ready for the next week.

Other issues discussed during today's pre-trial were regarding cell assignments, prison, and medical records of two local inmates who were incarcerated during the same time as Delacruz. The defense alleged that the two men were listed as potential witnesses on the state’s case, “I’m not saying they are jailhouse snitches, but I need to verify their credibility," Defense Attorney Reese argued.

The final issue discussed was the defense's request to obtain the records of the conditions of the jail. According to the defense, they believe the state will allege certain misconduct by Delacruz and knowing the condition of the jail would help their case. No further details were provided regarding misconduct incident.

Delacruz’s next pretrial is scheduled for June 26th at 9:00 a.m.