PARK CITY, Utah — Attorneys are preparing for the long-awaited trial of Kouri Richins.
The judge, prosecution, and defense attorneys all met at the Summit County Courthouse on Thursday to discuss the jury instructions that would be read aloud before opening statements.
However, that did not come without disagreements between the two parties.
Kouri Richins jury selection begins with questioning of potential jurors in Park City courtroom
The jury will be made up of eight primary jurors and four alternates. The defense made two objections on Thursday.
They claimed the state wanted to instruct the jury that Richins’ children are safe and in the custody of a family member.
They also said this hurts Richins’ right to due process, and makes it sound like she’s done something to lose custody of her kids before any evidence is presented.
The defense does not want to mention the status of the children.
It also wants to remove the judge reading “none of these charges subject the defendant to the death penalty,” because the jury is not supposed to consider punishment.
The judge will take these objections into consideration before Monday morning.
The judge also required both parties to send each other a copy of any materials they will use during their opening statements to avoid any objections.
The prosecution gave a rough outline of some of the witnesses, which will start with Richins’ family members, go into the night of the alleged murder, and into the crime scene, where the jury will hear from first responders and those who collected evidence.
Richins’ lawyers released the following statement:
"Kouri has waited nearly three years for this moment: the opportunity to have the facts of this case heard by a jury, free from the prosecution's narrative that has dominated headlines since her arrest. Now the state must prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. What the public has been told bears little resemblance to the truth. We welcome the courtroom, where evidence is bound by rules, not sensational coverage. Kouri is a mother who wants to go home to her children. We are confident this jury will make that possible."
- Wendy Lewis, Kathy Nester & Alex Ramos, lawyers for Kouri Richins
Thursday’s meeting ended with the judge saying, “I wish you the best” to Richins before she left the courtroom.
Opening statements are set to begin Monday morning.
