Al Potter's murder trial delayed, as sheriffs find new potential jurors downtown

It's not something anyone would predict happening on their lunch break being stopped in downtown St. John's by a uniformed sheriffs officer and told to stop your errands: you've been summoned for jury duty.

And not just any jury duty for the first-degree murder trial of Al Potter, one which had a full jury picked until Tuesday morning.

Potter, 55, is on trial for the stabbingdeath of Dale Porter, 39, who was discovered outside his North River, Conception Bay North, home on June 29, 2014.

Nine men and seven women were chosen after a day-long selection process at Supreme Court Monday. Two of those people are alternates and will be used onlyif someone in the jury pool has to be dismissed.

But by Tuesday morning, when evidence was expected to be called, two jurors and one alternate were dismissed, leaving a hole in the jury pool.

Sheriffstake to downtown St. John's

Some people were plucked from Atlantic Place on Water Street, others were reportedly inside the gym on the building's second floor.

One man said he was approached while he was filling his water bottle at work at the Sir Humphrey Gilbert Buildingand told, by a sheriff's officer, to go down the roadto Supreme Court.

Twelve people, many of whom looked puzzled, were led into the courtroom after the lunch break to begin the jury selection process.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience here today,"Justice GarrettHandrigantold one of the exempted jurors.

"It wasn't that bad," hereplied, soliciting some chuckles from the courtroom.

• Jury picked for Al Potter's 1st-degree murder trial

The man who had been filling his water bottlewas chosen as a juror, and appearedconfused and somewhat shocked by being selected.Justice GarrettHandriganasked him a series of questions about his job and whether he would be paid by his employer during the lengthy trial. In the end, he was granted an exemption on the grounds of financial hardship.

The next man whose jury number was pulled from a box similar to one used in a lottery, was chosen as thefinal juror. Two other people, however, were asked to return to court Wednesday, in case more jurors are dismissed.

Potter, who sat at a table next to the prisoner's box, put on reading glasses and followed along with the selection process using documents in front of him.

Not the 1st time

A similar scenario played out in 2014, when the courts were left scrambling to find two new jurors for the high-profile murder trial of Philip Pynn, who was eventually found guilty of manslaughter, and Lyndon Butler, whowas acquitted.

• Jury tangle leads to delay in start of Pynn-Butler murder trial

In that case, sheriff's officers hit the streets of downtown St. John's in search of a new pool of prospective jurors, who both the Crown and defence would determine to be suitable or not for the case.

Meanwhile, Justice Handrigantold jurors to expect the trial to last five weeks, but unforeseen circumstances could factor into when it will conclude.

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