Opinion ID: 1058852
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Juror Colander

Text: Juniper claims the trial court abused its discretion in refusing to strike prospective juror Colander from the venire because she had stated that it would cause hardship to be away from her position as a public school principal for the duration of the trial. The Commonwealth counters Juniper's assertion by observing that difficulty finding a replacement at work is irrelevant to any disqualifier under § 8.01-358. When refusing to strike Colander from the venire, the trial court expressed confidence that the Norfolk public school system could accommodate her absence. Juniper has not cited, nor does the record reflect, any basis for removing Colander for cause. Decisions of the trial court regarding whether to retain or excuse potential jurors are entitled to great deference on appeal. As such, we find no manifest error in the trial court's decision rejecting Juniper's motion to strike Colander as a juror.