Osborne case slated to be before court Monday
By Donna M. Perry
Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – When the justice asked how many people had heard or read about the Joshua Oliver Osborne case, most of the potential jurors stood.

Tuesday was the first day of jury selection for Osborne’s trial, slated to open Monday at the Franklin Superior Courthouse in Farmington. Jury selection continues at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Osborne, 23, of Farmington is accused of attempting to murder his mother, Janette Osborne, in a dispute over the family farm.

Joshua Osborne allegedly shot her in the chest while she was hanging out clothes July 7 at the farm, which is on Osborne Road.

Osborne also stands accused of trying to hire a cousin to kill his mother. Osborne’s girlfriend, Donna Enman, 26, also is accused of attempted murder.

Osborne, dressed in white dress shirt, khakis and white sneakers, sat between attorneys Kevin Joyce and Woody Hanstein Tuesday at the defense table facing nearly 100 potential jurors.

Once Justice Joseph Jabar polled the courtroom and nearly everybody stood, Jabar said, that questioning to find out what each person heard would be conducted in the judge’s chamber’s to make it more comfortable.

Joyce, Hanstein and state prosecutors Andrew Robinson and James Andrews joined Jabar along with court clerks and a stenographer in the chambers.

Potential jurors lined up at the chamber’ door and went in one by one for a conference that lasted between 1 and 4 minutes.

As the line formed, people chatted, read, played games on their cell-phones or stayed quiet for nearly two hours. A few people even slept.

At one point, a court security officer came out and asked potential jurors to tone it down a notch.

In the meantime, Osborne sat alone at the table with his ankles crossed, his eyes cast downward as he read a document in front of him. He eventually picked up a pen and started writing.

Eighty minutes into the questioning behind closed doors there were 22 people left to enter. Ten minutes later, there were 14 people remaining.

Soon, Joyce came out to sit beside his client to discuss matters in whispers.

Once prosecutors and Jabar emerged from chambers, it was time for some other questions.

Jabar told potential jurors that the court had to close at 4 p.m. Tuesday because of financial constraints.

Potential jurors would have to come back Wednesday to continue jury selection.

There was 20 minutes left and Jabar didn’t waste a second.

Jabar read off names of 36 potential witnesses, four names at a time and asked those that knew them to stand.

Each was asked how they knew the person, professionally or socially, casual or close. They were also asked if they could be fair and impartial if that person was a witness.

Most answered yes, but a few answered no. Some were police officers, others friends, acquaintances or relatives.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you’ve had a long day… We have to do this, we have to go through this,” Jabar said. “It’s important to everyone involved.”

Before dismissing them, Jabar told potential jurors they were in the middle of the trial and cautioned them not to talk to anyone about the case or try to find out any information about it.

He also told them not to read any newspapers or they would have to repeat Tuesday’s session.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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