Greeley – A Weld County District Court will spend at least part of today picking 12 people to decide if Mitch Cozad tried to kill to get a starting job on the University of Northern Colorado football team.
As many as 350 potential jurors will be questioned before opening arguments begin in Cozad’s attempted-murder trial.
Cozad faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of a Sept. 11, 2006, attack on UNC starting punter Rafael Mendoza. Police say Cozad – Mendoza’s backup – stabbed Mendoza in his punting leg and lunged at his chest outside Mendoza’s Evans apartment.
Investigators allege Cozad was jealous that Mendoza was the starting punter and that he stalked Mendoza for several days before he attacked. Cozad claims police bullied him during the investigation and that he had nothing to do with the assault.
Two weeks have been set aside for Cozad’s trial, which has garnered national attention. One reason for the huge jury pool is to find enough qualified people to dedicate that much time to fairly weigh the case against Cozad, say court officials.
“We want to be as thorough as possible but get to the evidence as quickly as we can,” District Judge Marcelo Kopcow told both sides Monday.
Kopcow said he is looking for jurors who have not been swayed by the massive publicity in the case.
Cozad, dressed in a dark suit and striped tie, sat between his two lawyers and helped go through the jury questionnaire Monday. His family and friends were among the spectators.
Mendoza’s family also was in the audience Monday afternoon.
Some jurors were sent home Monday after demonstrating severe hardship.
One included a mother who regularly breast-fed her baby but was unable to make arrangements for her child during the trial. Another woman was excused because she was due to give birth a week after the trial was slated to end.
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
