Judge in Casey Anthony trial adjourns jury selection until Thursday

Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr. of the Orange County Superior Court is presiding over the Casey Anthony murder trial.NEW: Defense lawyer says situation was "private matter"Several people are struck as viable jury pool candidatesAttorneys and the judge have rejected potential jurors for financial hardship and biasAnthony is accused of killing her daughter and then lying to investigators

Clearwater, Florida (CNN) -- The lead defense attorney in the Florida capital murder trial of Casey Anthony said a "private matter" curtailed jury selection Wednesday after only a few hours.

Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr. of the Orange County Superior Court, after a lunch break Wednesday, asked one of Anthony's defense attorneys whether he had had "an opportunity to discuss the matter with Miss Anthony?"

Defense lawyer Cheney Mason said he had.

The subject of the conversation was not clear in court, but defense lawyer Jose Baez later told Tru TV's "In Session" that the abrupt adjournment resulted from a "private matter" and that people should not speculate.

Baez has previously complained about what he considers the quick pace and nature of the jury selection process.

"We can't comment on the chief judge's decision, as it was his decision. We will resume our work in court tomorrow at 8:30," said Danielle Tavernier, spokeswoman for the State Attorney's Office, 9th Judicial Circuit, which is prosecuting the case.

Anthony is charged in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. The young girl's skeletal remains were found in woods near her family's home in December 2008 after she went missing for six months.

Jury selection had resumed Wednesday morning before the adjournment. The selection process has so far lasted nine days.

The goal is to have jury selection finalized late this week, with opening statements set for Monday morning, "if we get a jury," Perry said.

Attorneys and the judge have rejected potential jurors for reasons ranging from financial hardship to bias.

Anthony, 25, has pleaded not guilty.

Jury selection is taking place at the Pinellas County courthouse in Clearwater, Florida.

Attorneys on both sides struck several jurors Tuesday, whittling the potential pool of vetted candidates to just 11 -- six women and five men. Monday ended with 17 such candidates. Those remaining could still be cut before they are sworn in to serve.

Twelve jurors and eight alternates were expected to be seated on the jury, which will be moved to and sequestered in Orange County, where the alleged crime happened and where the trial will take place.

However, Perry on Monday raised the possibility the trial could move forward with fewer than eight alternates.

"We will have what we will have," he said.

HLN's Natisha Lance and In Session's Beth Karas and Michael Christian contributed to this report.

CNN

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Jury selection begins in Casey Anthony trial

Casey Anthony has been charged with capital murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.NEW: Jury selection in Casey Anthony case begins in Clearwater, FloridaNEW: Selection starts at the Pinellas County CourthouseCasey Anthony is accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, CayleeThe trial is scheduled to start May 17

(CNN) -- Jury selection began Monday in the case of Casey Anthony, a Florida woman accused of killing her young daughter.

The selection process began at the Pinellas County Courthouse in Clearwater, Florida, according to the Orange County court where the trial will ultimately be held.

Until the first day of jury selection, nearly everything about the selection process -- from the locale of the jury pool to the location of the hearing -- had been kept secret from all but a few people on the defense and prosecution teams because of concerns about seating an impartial jury.

Only one person each on the defense team and on the prosecution team were told of the location in advance, court officials said.

The jurors were expected to be sequestered during the selection process and then transported to the Orange County Superior Court when the trial begins, according to court documents.

Anthony, 25, has been charged with capital murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. She also faces six other charges, including aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child and misleading law enforcement.

Caylee was reported missing by her grandmother in July 2008, about a month after she was last seen. Investigators found her remains five months later.

Prosecutors contend that Anthony used "a substance" to kill her daughter.

The trial is scheduled to begin on May 17, with Orange County Superior Court Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr. presiding.

When the trial gets under way, Anthony's parents will be in the courtroom over the objections of their daughter. Defense attorneys asked that George and Cindy Anthony not be allowed to attend the trial, arguing that their right to attend "must yield to the defendant's right to a fair trial." Both have testified in pre-trial hearings and will be called as witnesses during the proceedings.

Anthony's mother, Cindy, called 911 on July 15, 2008, when she learned that Caylee had been missing for about a month.

Courts generally prefer that witnesses not attend court proceedings, out of concern that other testimony could affect theirs. But there are precedents for exempting a victim's next of kin.

Judge Perry ruled that the Anthonys can sit in the gallery, where members of the media and the public sit. But he stressed that they could be thrown out if they make facial expressions or show "approval or disapproval" during the trial. These rules apply to anyone seated in the courtroom.

CNN

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