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CENTENNIAL, Colo. — The judge, prosecutors and defense attorneys in the Aurora theater shooting trial began questioning potential jurors individually Wednesday.

They plan to interview nearly 1,000 jurors who were not dismissed after filling out a lengthy questionnaire. The process could take up to 16 weeks.

Seven of 12  jurors questioned Wednesday were kept. That’s a lot more than the judge wants to see kept in one day.

The prosecution always points directly at James Holmes during individual juror questioning, asking if they can sentence “that man” to death. Defense attorneys always refer to their client by name and they ask about mitigating evidence jurors might consider as reason to spare his life.

The district attorney asks whether jurors can deliberate with others. The defense asks them if they can stand firm and not be “bullied” by others.

There is no question that Holmes was the person who shot and killed 12 people at the Century 16 Theaters in Aurora on July 20, 2012.

He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and jurors will decide if he was insane when he committed the crime. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty.

The defense wanted one juror excused saying his initial statement indicated he wouldn’t consider mitigating evidence in sentencing. That juror said he would not consider the shooter’s age, background and possible mental illness as reasons two grant him his life. Judge Carlos A. Samour Jr. said jurors must consider mitigating evidence and he gave the individual plenty of opportunity to say he wouldn’t do it. The juror didn’t take it.

The court spent one hour 15 minutes with another juror who may get dismissed for hardship reasons. That’s if his boss gets back to him to say he won’t be paid while serving on the jury in this case.

The jurors who were kept are a white male in his 30s or 40s who is an art director. He reads news daily. A white female college graduate in her 20s said she doesn’t read much news. A  businesswoman/lawyer, Caucasian, in her 50s or 60s was the third juror kept as of mid-afternoon Wednesday.

One potential juror borrowed from John F. Kennedy. In spite of being the sole caretaker of her parents and a business owner, she asked, “Why can’t I be a juror?”

An elderly black man who is Vietnam War veteran was dismissed due to back issues and PTSD.