Petit Penalty Trial: Shades of eHarmony

We have a jury problem, New Haven.  That just could cause a mistrial in the Penalty phase for convicted murderer of the Petit family Steven Hayes. 

The jury pool is down to slim pickings.  A juror asked to be dismissed.  Another was booted for making derogatory comments.  And now an alternate was caught by the judge passing a love note to a marshall in the court room.  She wanted to meet up with him at a dining area in Hamden.  However, the judge allowed her to remain an alternate.

But anything could happen to the number of jurors before the case is turned over to them which may be late this week.  By statute the defendant has a right to 12 jurors.  He could waive that if more ask to leave or are booted.  But what would be in his self interest is not to waive that and have a mistrial.  Then the process would start up again at a later date, with the memory of the Petit murders less vivid.