Jury picked in day care rape case

Fears that publicity would make it impossible to seat a jury in the trial of a teen accused of raping a 62 year old day care worker in 2007 proved unfounded.

The judge and lawyers had little trouble selecting the panel that will hear testimony beginning today in the trial of Kendrick Morris.

Morris, 19, is charged with five felonies, each carrying a possible life sentence. They are: two counts of sexual battery and single counts of attempted sexual battery, attempted robbery with a deadly weapon and armed burglary with an assault.

He has pleaded not guilty.

Morris also is charged with raping and beating a teen as she dropped off books at Bloomingdale Regional Public Library in April 2008.

He has pleaded not guilty in that case. That trial is set for Sept. 27.

Investigators said the 62-year-old woman was unlocking the Children's Lighthouse Day Care Center on the morning of June 28, 2007, when she was confronted by a man with a knife.

The man forced the woman inside, demanded money and raped her, investigators said.

Morris' attorneys have tried to get both trials moved out of Hillsborough County, arguing that the publicity the cases have generated, particularly the library attack, made it impossible to seat an unbiased jury.

Circuit Judge Chet A. Tharpe rejected the claims but said he might reconsider his ruling if jury questioning in the day care rape trial showed an impartial panel could not be picked.

The court only had to use 36 of the 100 potential jurors summoned Monday to find the six-member jury and two alternates.

Those summoned were quizzed Monday about their knowledge of the case, of Morris and their news reading and watching habits. They also filled out a 16-item questionnaire that asked how and the extent to which they follow the news.

The jury pool was asked about whether they followed 10 specific cases, including the "Bloomingdale Library Rape," though Morris wasn't mentioned in connection with it.

Five potential jurors were excused because of their answers on the questionnaire.

Investigators say that a DNA sample from Morris ties him to both crimes.

Jurors were questioned about any expertise they had in DNA and whether they thought such evidence was infallible.