A pretrial hearing got under way Thursday morning in the murder case of Clara Harris, a Houston-area dentist accused of killing her husband by running him over with her car.

Harris, 44, is charged with murdering her orthodontist husband, David Harris, 44, on the night of July 24 at the Hilton Nasa Clear Lake, Nasa Road 1, in Nassau Bay.

During Thursday's pretrial hearing in the 177th District Court in downtown Houston, attorneys hashed out last-minute details for the Harris trial, including whether jurors should be able to hear Harris' stepdaughter's statements during the trial.

The stepdaughter, Lindsey Harris, was a passenger in a Mercedes-Benz driven by Clara Harris, when the car was used to run down David Harris.

Lindsey Harris has told authorities that before finding her father, Clara Harris said, "I could kill him and get away with it for all he's put me through."

Lindsey Harris also told authorities that just before her stepmother ran over her father, Clara Harris said, "I'm going to hit him."

Both sides said they didn't want to repeat the statements in open court as reporters listened. Prosecutors wanted to avoid tainting next week's jury pool, and Harris' attorney, George Parnham, said the public release of the statements was "extremely unfair" to his client.

State District Judge Carol Davies insisted that prosecutor Mia Magness repeat the statements in court so she could determine how explosive they could be. Magness complied.

Davies then told Magness and Parnham jurors would likely be allowed to hear the statements, but she would make a final decision on whether to admit them as evidence during the trial.

Parnham said the release of the statements in open court already put them in the public domain.

"The horse is out of the barn, unsaddled," Parham said.

"There were four people out there in the parking lot around that automobile and was that statement a declaration of intent?" he asked. "Was that statement an observation?"

On Tuesday, jury selection is scheduled to begin and testimony is likely start on Wednesday.

Police said that Clara Harris confronted her husband and his dental office receptionist with whom he had been having an affair with in the lobby of the hotel.

After the trio was asked to leave the hotel, Clara Harris drove her Mercedes Benz over her husband three times, authorities said.

Two days later, Clara Harris called Blue Moon Investigators, the company she hired to follow her husband, asking them for a refund.

News2Houston has learned that on the audiotapes, witnesses claim that Clara Harris was also having an affair before her husband died.

Clara Harris remains free on a $30,000 bond.

If convicted, she could face up to life in prison.

Previous Stories:

• November 19, 2002: Audiotapes Allege Clara Harris Also Having Affair
• November 1, 2002: Harris Featured In Magazine Article
• October 18, 2002: Clara Harris Pleads Not Guilty
• October 10, 2002: Grand Jury Indicts Clara Harris
• September 18, 2002: Custody Battle Stems From High-Profile Murder
• August 23, 2002: Clara Harris' Murder Trial Set
• August 2, 2002: Slain Orthodontist's Daughter Files Suit
• July 31, 2002: P.I. Turns Over Video Of Dentist's Death
• July 29, 2002: Judge: Dentist To Remain Free
• July 26, 2002: Wife Free After Allegedly Running Over Husband
• July 25, 2002: Police: Wife Runs Over Cheating Husband