Fravel on Trial, Day 1: Jury selection begins; judge rules on motions
(ABC 6 News) — Monday was the first day of the trial of Adam Fravel, the man charged with the murder of Madeline Kingsbury, the mother of his two children.
Related: Adam Fravel trial: Timeline from Madeline Kingsbury’s disappearance to Mankato courthouse
A key event from the first day is, of course, the beginning of the jury selection. While 126 jurors were expected to appear at the courthouse, only 96 showed up. Many jurors are filtered out with the questionnaire. These jurors were given questions like the following:
- Have you heard of Madeline Kingsbury?
- How much news do you consume?
- Do you know anyone who’s struggled with domestic violence?
Judge Nancy Buytendorp and the attorneys can also ask questions of their own to determine whether any potential juror has any bias that would make them incapable of being on the case.
It is not taken lightly as it is something Fravel’s defense team argued was impossible in Kingsbury’s hometown hence why the trial is taking place in Mankato rather than Winona.
Throughout the process, the defense can strike 15 jurors from the case while the state can only do so nine times.
Before the jury selection got underway though, the judge needed to rule on a number of motions filed by both the defense and state.
Related: Motions, witness lists filed by state and defense ahead of trial against Adam Fravel
One motion included Judge Buytendrop deciding that Fravel would not wear any restraints, such as handcuffs, through the trial.
It was a motion brought forth by the defense. The judge agreed that Fravel is not a danger to anyone in the courthouse, and his right to a fair trial outweighed any concerns about courtroom safety.
The judge also ruled just last week that nobody would be allowed to wear any kind of buttons, t-shirts, etc. in support of Kingsbury.
ABC 6 News will be at the courthouse for the duration of the trial, and any updates can be found here.