Jury selection for the Anthony Ibarra murder trial began at the Santa Maria Fairpark on Nov. 17.
More than 2,100 Santa Barbara County residents were summoned to the park to begin selection for the jury that will judge the six defendants and one juvenile accused of the gang-related torture and murder of Ibarra last March. Ibarra’s body, which showed signs of torture, was found in the back of a U-Haul truck that was parked in a residential area of Orcutt.
Defendants Ramon Maldonado; his father, David Maldonado; Jason Castillo; Reyes Gonzalez; Santos Sauceda; and Anthony Solis are being charged with crimes. Ramon Maldonado’s son, Ramon Maldonado Jr., will be tried separately from the others. Four other defendants have accepted plea deals: Verenisa Aviles, Carmen Cardenas, Robert Stan Sosa, and Pedro Torres Jr.
Pre-trial hearings in the case were initially moved from the Santa Maria Courthouse to Santa Maria’s juvenile courtroom because there wasn’t enough space in any of the courtroom galleys to comfortably fit everyone—initially, 12 defendants and 12 lawyers. The case changed venues once again due to square-footage requirements.
Because of the large number of potential jurors and the need for parking during the selection process, officials chose the Fairpark because it had the space to accommodate everyone, court officials told the Sun.
Darrel Parker, Santa Barbara Superior Court’s executive officer, said the park is leased through Dec. 19, and officials are hoping the selection process will be completed by then. Up to 200 people per day are expected to be screened during the first three days of jury selection. Those who haven’t been excused or deferred due to hardships are being told to report back on Nov. 20. During the trial, jurors will earn about $15 per day, plus mileage reimbursement for one direction of travel, Parker said, adding that the trial is expected to wrap up at the end of February 2015.
This article appears in Nov 20-27, 2014.