Lawyers Try Again Today at Komisarjevsky Jury Selection

While jury selection continues today in New Haven for the second Cheshire home invasion death penalty trial, the death penalty itself is on trial in Hartford.

One proposed bill would abolish the death penalty, and on Monday death penalty supporters in the Legislature said they would introduce another bill to speed up executions following sentencing.

The abolition bill would only apply to new cases after the law passes, so it would not affect Joshua Komisarjevsky, the second Cheshire defendant, if he receives the death penalty.

Komisarjevsky, 30, is charged with the triple homicide in 2007 of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters. His co-defendant, Steven Hayes, 47, was convicted in 2010 and is on death row, and would also not be affected by the abolition of the death penalty in Connecticut.

Dr. William Petit, the husband and father of the victims, joined the state legislators supporting the death penalty for their announcement in Hartford. But Petit did not speak because, he said,  Judge Jon C. Blue has imposed a gag order against speaking about the case.

No jurors were selected on Monday, leaving the total picked so far at five. Defense attorneys and prosecutors must pick 12 jurors, six alternates and three backup alternates for the trial, which is scheduled to begin in September.