Judge eyes jury rules in teen murder case

RENO (AP) - A judge plans to decide by Friday if any special steps should be taken to find an impartial jury for the trial of an accused serial rapist charged with kidnapping and killing Brianna Denison.

"It's going to be difficult to do in this case," Washoe District Judge Robert Perry said during a hearing Wednesday. "The reality of this case is there has been a lot of publicity."

James Biela, a former Sparks construction worker, is scheduled for trial in May on charges of murdering Denison, a 19-year-old college coed in 2008 and raping two other young women. He has pleaded not guilty.

The crime spree near the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno sent tremors through the community for months.

Among other things, defense lawyers want prospective jurors to respond to longer-than-usual questionnaires about their biases. They also seek to question jury candidates outside the earshot of other jurors about their opinions on the death penalty and whether Biela is guilty or innocent.

Judge Perry said he won't consider moving the trial to another jurisdiction without first attempting to seat a jury in Washoe County.