Anthony is accused of killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf last April at a Frisco track meet at David Kuykendall Stadium.
Journalists from The Dallas Morning News will provide live updates throughout the day from the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney.
A 12-member jury and six alternates were selected from a pool of roughly 250, whittled down from an initial pool of 600.
The jury’s racial makeup quickly came under question. Defense attorneys accused prosecutors of striking three Black jurors — the only three Black candidates left in the jury pool — without proper cause. Prosecutors are required to provide a “race neutral” reason for striking the jurors, and they said it was because all three were educators. District Judge John Roach Jr. sided with prosecutors.
Prosecutors or defense attorneys can ask to remove potential jurors for cause, but the judge must decides whether there is a legal reason to excuse them. Each side also has a limited number of peremptory strikes, which allow lawyers to remove potential jurors without having to prove they are unfit to serve.
Strikes based on factors like profession are allowed, but under the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1986 decision in Batson v. Kentucky, lawyers cannot remove prospective jurors because of race. If one side believes that has happened, it can object and ask the judge to decide whether the strike was discriminatory.
Sandra Guerra Thompson, a University of Houston Law Center professor who has studied jury selection, said successful Batson challenges are rare, in part because the evidence needed to prove the strike was made on racial grounds and because attorneys can offer other reasons.
“It’s very hard to come by,” Thompson said.
The jury was not sequestered, but the judge issued a stern warning.
“I’m going to say it again, don’t discuss the case with anyone,” he told jurors Thursday.
Outside the courthouse, the crowd of protesters has dwindled since the trial began Monday. A rally is planned for Thursday, though.
A Justice for Austin Metcalf rally at 12:30 p.m. Thursday will be “proclaiming the message of Jesus,” according to a flier. “Come loud. Come proud. Come peacefully,” the flier says. “We the people. We won’t be silenced.”