Jury selection begins in case of man accused of killing 83-year-old woman

ORLANDO, Fla. — Lawyers spent Monday interviewing potential jurors in the case of an Orlando man accused of killing an 83-year-old woman and burning down her home.

Juan Rosario is charged with first-degree murder. His will be the first murder case to go to trial since State Attorney Aramis Ayala was inaugurated.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott removed Ayala from Rosario's case and about two dozen others after she announced that she wouldn't pursue the death penalty during her tenure.

Scott instead appointed State Attorney Brad King to prosecute the case, but three of Ayala's assistant state attorneys are overseeing jury selection.

Jurors were questioned at length about their ability to impose the death penalty and whether Ayala's decision had affected how they feel about capital punishment.

King said he would pursue the death penalty in Rosario's case. Prosecutors working for Ayala's predecessor, former State Attorney Jeff Ashton, had prepared the case as a death penalty case.

Judge Leticia Marques, prosecutors and defense attorneys all seek to determine whether the recent public debate over capital punishment has influenced how potential jurors consider punishment in the case.

Jury selection in the case is expected to last for the rest of the week.

Cox Media Group