An Idaho judge criticized the defense team of murder suspect Byran Kohberger for sending a questionnaire to approximately 400 local residents who could potentially serve as jurors in the case. The defense team is seeking to move the trial to a different county, alleging bias among Latah County residents. The judge expressed concern over the questionnaire's content, which included specific questions about Kohberger's arrest, evidence found at the crime scene, and DNA matches.
The prosecutor and judge argued that the questions in the survey revealed too much information about the case, potentially influencing public sentiment and prejudicing the trial. The defense team had hired a social psychologist to conduct the survey but later admitted that many questions were not factually correct.
The judge emphasized the importance of protecting Kohberger's right to a fair trial and expressed surprise that the defense and prosecution did not collaborate on what information should be released to the public. He also addressed the defense's claim of due process violation regarding the surveying of prospective jurors.
Kohberger, a former criminology Ph.D. student, faces charges of murder and burglary for allegedly stabbing four University of Idaho students with a knife in November 2022. His trial is scheduled for no later than the summer of 2025, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty.
