# Court Excuses Nearly a Third of Jurors in Farwell Trial

> Judge dismisses 116 jurors from 411 pool in Matthew Farwell's federal murder trial.
- Title: Court Excuses Nearly a Third of Jurors in Farwell Trial
- Summary: Judge dismisses 116 jurors from 411 pool in Matthew Farwell's federal murder trial. Judge Denise J. Casper excused 116 of 411 prospective jurors in Matthew…
- Keywords: matthew farwell, sandra birchmore, us district court, juror selection, federal murder trial, stoughton police department, canton apartment, news, local, Court, Excuses, Nearly
- Source: The Boston Globe — https://bostonglobe.com/2026/10/07/metro/sandra-birchmore-matthew-farwell-trial
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: matthew farwell, sandra birchmore, us district court, juror selection, federal murder trial, stoughton police department, canton apartment, news, local
## Juror Pool Screening Begins
Judge Denise J. Casper dismissed 116 of 411 prospective jurors in Matthew Farwell's federal murder trial.
## Defense Challenges Jurors
Attorney Kimberly C. Stevens flagged jurors with 'disturbing' answers to screening questions.
## Juror Elimination Process
Casper agreed to excuse over a dozen jurors after defense challenged responses to screening questionnaires.
## Juror Screening Details
Lawyers referred to screening questions only by their assigned numbers on questionnaires.
## Juror Elimination Reason
Stevens asked for elimination of a juror who commented about the agency first on scene when Birchmore died.
## Next Steps in Trial
Casper plans to select 16 jurors: 12 for deliberations and four alternates.
## Key takeaway

Judge Denise J. Casper excused 116 of 411 prospective jurors in Matthew Farwell's federal murder trial after defense and prosecution questioned responses to initial screening questionnaires.