Justice by Long Distance: Perry Jurors to Decide Triple Murder Case
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Chris Coleman, the Chester, Ill. native who prosecutors say killed his 31-year-old wife and two sons--ages 9 and 11--in their Columbia, Ill. home in May 2009 will be in Perry County in mid-February for his own jury selection. Prosecutors go so far as to believe that during the funeral for Coleman's wife, he allegedly messaged his Florida girlfriend.
Jury selection was moved to Perry County on a granted change of venue motion late last year because of pre-trial publicity and potential prejudice.
The jury of twelve and two or more alternates will be picked from a pool of 300 Perry County residents beginning on Tuesday, February 15. When that process is completed it will be those residents who will be bused daily from Perry County to the trial itself in Monroe County (Waterloo) unless a judge deems it better and easier that arrangements are made for them to be housed together in Waterloo for the trial. Perry County Circuit Clerk said those details are to be worked out next work during a meeting with presiding Judge Milton Wharton.
Again, Coleman will not be tried here in Perry County.
Coleman will not come to Perry County for the opening day of jury selection, where the 300 will register and be given preliminary instructions at the makeshift courtroom in the Pinckneyville Knights of Columbus Hall on the town's near north side.
The process will move to the Perry County Courthouse in downtown Pinckneyville when the pool of 300 are broken down into smaller groups of 30 and assessed by the prosecution and defense counsels as to their worthiness.
"We will take care of security," said Perry County Sheriff Keith Kellerman, whose team will work alongside Monroe County Sheriff Dan Kelly--whom Kellerman highly respects--during the two weeks of jury selection. Sheriff Kellerman said during a typical petit jury selection in Perry County two bailiffs would assist with security in the courtroom. The K of C Hall will likely be staffed with his deputies and one or more staff members from the Monroe County Sheriff's Department.
Circuit Clerk Kellerman is to coordinate the entire jury selection process with the assistance of the Monroe County court system.
During the onset of the jury selection process, Sheriff Keith Kellerman's staff will shoulder the assignment of locating jurors who may not have properly responded to the jury call or don't show up at the K or C Hall on opening day.
Coleman's trial on three charges of first degree murder is scheduled to begin in March as soon as the jury selection process is complete.
For complete details, see today's Du Quoin Evening Call.