4 jurors chosen in first day of jury selection for accused Fredericton shooter's fitness hearing

Potential jurors wearing face masks and keeping their distance lined up outside the Fredericton Convention Centre on Monday for the first jury selection in Canada since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared.

The jury chosen will have to decide whether Matthew Vincent Raymond is fit to stand trial, as he was found unfit by a previous jury last fall.

This jury could also stay for the criminal trial set for Sept. 15 if Raymond chooses to keep them.

By the end of Monday, four jurors — two men, two women — were selected.

Raymond is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Const. Robb Costello, Const. Sara Burns, Donnie Robichaud and Bobbie Lee Wright. They were killed on Fredericton's north side in the summer of 2018.

By Monday afternoon the court had chosen two "triers," who will form a "mini jury" to help the judge, Crown and defence decide if the potential juror is suitable. They will be dismissed once the full jury is selected.

When they were sworn in, the clerk asked them to hover their hand over their holy book of choice, instead of placing their hand directly on it.

Potential jurors must wear face shields 

Once the potential jurors were registered, and their temperatures were taken, they filed into the largest room in the convention centre. There, chairs were set two metres apart, with a numbered placard and a bottle of water placed under each one.

When they move around the convention centre, potential jurors must wear face shields, which have been provided by the court. However, once they're seated, they can take them off. 

Justice Larry Landry said he understands the jury selection process is being done differently, but the obligation is still the same.

Many cases have been delayed by COVID-19 and "we are trying to put them back on track," he said.

"This court must do everything reasonably possible to make sure that the accused persons in Canada continue to have fair trials without unreasonable delay."

The approximately 100 potential jurors were randomly split into four groups. The first group was asked to come back at 1:30 p.m., the second Tuesday morning, the third tomorrow afternoon and the rest were asked to call in Tuesday to check if they're still needed.

Court has moved to the convention centre to maintain physical distancing. It's the largest venue the court has been able to find in New Brunswick's capital. With distancing, the largest makeshift courtroom can fit about 150 people.

Last week, the court conducted a pre-screening for everyone who may have an excuse not to sit on this jury. This would minimize the number of people inside the courtroom at one time.

Ross Gorman, the director of courts in the southern region, says the courts take potential jurors' safety seriously.

"Those that showed up here today were not volunteering they were court mandated," he said.

Gorman said it's good to be the first province to conduct jury selection, especially since the court system had done mock jury trials in preparation.

"I think we're pretty well close to a finished product and [there is] always room for some big improvement, but at the end of the day I think that it's looking rather promising."

Publication ban in effect

Fitness to stand trial deals with the accused's state of mind at the current moment, not at the time of an alleged criminal offence.

If Raymond is found fit, a criminal trial is set for Sept. 15. 

The fitness hearing is expected to take up to two days. And the criminal trial is set for four to six weeks.

Landry also ordered a publication ban on this week's jury selection process.