SMETHPORT — After a full day Monday in McKean County Court, 12 jurors and four alternates were picked to hear the homicide case against Bradford businessman Stephen Stidd.
Opening statements will begin this morning.
Stidd, 65, is accused of shooting his son-in-law, Melvin Bizzarro, on Jan. 16, 2015, behind Togi’s Restaurant. Stidd’s attorneys, Greg Henry and James P. Miller, have maintained the shooting was in self defense. The case is being prosecuted by L. Todd Goodwin and Bobbi Jo Wagner of the state attorney general’s office.
Stidd is incarcerated in McKean County Jail, held without bail since April 18 despite numerous attempts from his attorneys to garner his release.
A total of 155 potential jurors filled the large courtroom in Smethport Monday morning. Senior Judge John Cleland explained what case the group was there to hear, and stressed the importance of jury service.
“Every day we call on our friends and family to exercise democracy,” he said. To all those present, he said, “Today you represent the citizens of Pennsylvania, of McKean County.”
Groups of 30 prospective jurors at a time were taken to the small courtroom to be questioned en masse, then each juror was taken in the judge’s chambers for further questioning. Some were excused for hardships, such as not being reimbursed for days off, or having medical or childcare issues. Others were dismissed for being related to or friends with either Stidd, Bizzarro, or one of about 50 witnesses that will be called by either the prosecution or defense.
The attorneys were given a chance to ask questions of each prospective juror. Goodwin told each person that Bizzarro had amounts in his blood of alcohol, cocaine, methadone and hydrocodone, and asked if they had strong opinions about that which would prevent them from being fair and impartial. Most said they had problems with illegal drug use, but it wouldn’t impact their ability to be fair in the case.
Henry asked each prospective juror if they had strong opinions about guns, or a person’s right to carry a firearm. Several people said they didn’t use guns themselves, but had no issue with it. Others said they, too, had carry permits.
A few prospective jurors told the judge they had serious concerns about their ability to be fair in the case, saying Bizzarro’s name allegedly carved into a misfired bullet in Stidd’s gun gave them pause.
One woman said she’s followed every step in the case. “I feel he’s not guilty,” she said, before admitting she was friends with a Stidd family member.
Still others alleged they know Bizzarro’s reputation for having a bad temper, while others said they had witnessed it. They were excused.
Answering a question about whether he would give more weight to the testimony of a law enforcement officer, one potential juror said, “I feel if you’re here, there’s a pretty good reason for it.” He did not make the jury, either.
A jury of five men and seven women were seated by the end of the day, along with four alternates, one female and three males. A total of 59 jurors were questioned.
Throughout the day of questioning in the judge’s chambers, Stidd remained seated with his attorneys, wearing a gray suit instead of the jail’s jumpsuit.
At one point in the afternoon, Stidd leaned over to look out an open window, where someone nearby was doing yardwork. “That’s the first weed whacker I’ve heard in six months,” he said wistfully. “It sounds pretty good.”
