Jury Selection in Cop Killer’s Death Penalty Trial Could Set Record

KOB-TV reports that the jury clerk will send out more than 2,500 jury summons in the death penalty phase of the Michael Astorga case. Astorga was convicted in the 2006 killing of Bernalillo County Deputy James McGrane Jr.

Officials say the 2,500 summons would be a state record and jury selection could take up to two months.

Jurors in the deputy slaying case will have to decide whether to impose the death penalty or life in prison for Astorga.

The state Supreme Court said Astorga can still face the death penalty in that case despite a later repeal of the state’s death penalty law.