HOUSTON – The court heard from more than 200 potential jurors from three separate panels this month. Attorneys made it down to 48 potential jurors. This group will return on May 31 for the final part of the voir dire process, where 12 jurors plus alternates are selected.
On Thursday, the court called for one prospective juror to return Friday. The courtroom bailiff said the juror called her to make her aware that her boss talked about the case when referencing her kids, stating they attended Kinkaid High School, the same school as Antonio Armstrong Jr. but not at the same time.
Prosecutor John Jordan raised concerns about the discussion.
“The issue is there’s clearly a conversation,” Jordan said. “There’s no way to get to Kinkaid [High School] without perjury…[I’m] not accusing her of perjury. I’m not saying that. I think it’s violating the courts order.”
Attorneys will ask the potential juror more about the conversation on Friday.
As the day moved forward, another potential juror said they heard something about the case through TikTok.
The prospective juror, in their 20s, said they were scrolling through TikTok when they saw a photo collage of Armstrong with a baby and someone saying, “He is innocent. If you’re able to come to court 178 on June 5, come support.”
The person told the court they immediately swiped past the video once they realized it was about Armstrong.
“The only thing I did gather from that is that he does have a child,” the potential juror said. “I didn’t know that.”
The trial of the State of Texas vs Antonio Armstrong Jr. is expected to begin on June 5.