Court To Interview 262 Potential Jurors
Some 600 Potential Jurors Showed Up For Westerfield Trial
POSTED: 3:04 p.m. PDT May 17, 2002
UPDATED: 3:13 p.m. PDT May 17, 2002
SAN DIEGO -- Jury selection began Friday in the trial of a man accused of kidnapping and murdering 7-year-old neighbor Danielle van Dam.
Defendant David Westerfield was taken into the courtroom to observe the initial questioning of the hundreds of people summoned as potential jurors.
Westerfield, 50, is charged with murder, kidnapping and misdemeanor possession of child pornography. If he's convicted, Westerfield could face the death penalty.
Danielle was discovered missing the morning of Feb. 2, touching off an extensive search involving thousands of volunteers. Her naked body was found three weeks later along a rural road east of San Diego.
Investigators say they found Danielle's blood, hair and fingerprints in Westerfield's motor home.
The twice-divorced engineer insisted on his right to a speedy trial, which brought about the start of jury selection in a capital murder case with unusual haste.
A larger-than-expected pool of 600 potential jurors turned up due to extensive media coverage, said jury services manager Neal Methvin.
Before being handed a 21-page questionnaire that examines their views on pornography and the death penalty, the potential jurors were asked about hardships that serving for three months might cause.
About 245 people were excused for hardships, said Marilyn Laurence, a spokeswoman for the Superior Court.
Coordinator of jury services Neal Methvin Jr. said 140 were excused initially for inability to stay past two weeks. Another 207 were excused by the court.
Another 262 were handed copies of the questionnaire, Laurence said.
The questionnaire asks whether prospects have seen explicit sexual acts or sexual pictures and whether they did so on the Internet, in films, books, on a computer or in bars and dance clubs.
Prosecutors intend to present images of child pornography found in Westerfield's home, which they contend fed fantasies that culminated in his kidnapping and killing Danielle.
About five pages of questions solicit opinions on the death penalty.
The questionnaire also seeks to determine how much exposure prospects had to what the trial judge has referred to as a "tsunami" of pretrial publicity in the case. Outside, city crews blocked off an entire block to make room for more than a dozen TV trucks.
Westerfield's attorneys may ask the judge to move the trial to another city if an unbiased jury cannot be seated.
Prosecutors, defense attorneys and Superior Court Judge William Mudd will spend a week reviewing the responses. Questioning of individuals is scheduled to begin May 28. Mudd will question them, 20 at a time, on that date.
Opening statements were not expected to begin for a few weeks.
The judge said earlier this week he will allow limited testimony about the lifestyles of Danielle's parents.
Unsubstantiated rumors that Brenda and Damon van Dam were "swingers" have swirled around the case since Danielle disappeared from her north San Diego home. The van Dams have refused to discuss their lifestyle.
![]() WESTERFIELD TRIAL DANIELLE VAN DAM 1994-2002 E-mail: daniellevandam @yahoo.com Send mail to: P.O. Box 501515 San Diego, 92150 |
Previous Stories:
- May 17, 2002: Westerfield Jury Selection Under Way
- May 16, 2002: Westerfield Jury Selection Set To Begin
- May 15, 2002: Judge May Make Rulings In Westerfield Case
- May 13, 2002: Westerfield Pre-Trial Still Closed
- May 10, 2002: Westerfield Trial: Pretrial Motions Remain Closed
- May 8, 2002: Reporters Called In Westerfield Trial
- May 8, 2002: DA: Danielle Was Suffocated By Westerfield
- May 7, 2002: Pretrial Motions Start In Westerfield Case
- May 2, 2002: Westerfield Pretrial Motions To Remain Sealed
- May 1, 2002: Court: Westerfield Affidavits To Remain Sealed
- April 25, 2002: DA To Seek Death Penalty Against Westerfield
- April 19, 2002: Westerfield Given Limited Access To Police Records
- April 18, 2002: Press Kept Out Of Van Dam Murder Case
- April 18, 2002: Judge Reviews Cops' Files In Van Dam Murder Case
- April 17, 2002: Westerfield Fights To Keep Search Warrants Sealed
- April 15, 2002: DA: Deny Westerfield Access To Police Records
- April 12, 2002: Lie-Detector Specialist: Westerfield 'Deceptive'
- April 11, 2002: Documents: Dogs Alerted Police To Westerfield
- April 11, 2002: No Live Press For Westerfield Pretrial Hearings
- April 4, 2002: Westerfield Lawyer: Client Abused By Police
- March 28, 2002: Trial Date Set For Van Dam Murder Case
- March 28, 2002: Westerfield To Make Court Appearance
- March 15, 2002: Westerfield To Stand Trial In Van Dam Murder
- March 13, 2002: Westerfield Hearing Takes A Break
- March 12, 2002: Testimony: Police Find Porn On Westerfield's Computer
- March 11, 2002: Witness: Danielle's Body Found Nude, Decomposing
- March 8, 2002: Gag Order Issued In Van Dam Murder Case
- March 7, 2002: Police Acted Inappropriately Toward Westerfield
- March 4, 2002: Westerfield Affidavits To Remain Sealed
- February 27, 2002: Search Warrants Show Police Sought Child Porn
- February 27, 2002: Danielle's Parents Respond To Neighbor's Arraignment
- February 26, 2002: Van Dam Neighbor To Be Arraigned
- February 26, 2002: Westerfield To Be Charged With Murder
- February 25, 2002: Danielle's Blood Found On Neighbor's Clothing
- February 14, 2002: Police Search Neighbor's House Again
- February 8, 2002: Police: Westerfield Had Child Porn
- February 8, 2002: Investigation Operations Base Leaves North County
- February 8, 2002: Search For Danielle Goes Nationwide
- February 5, 2002: Police Question Neighbor In Missing Girl Case
Copyright 2003 by TheSanDiegoChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.










