Paul Flores
By KAREN VELIE
The trial of accused murderer Paul Flores and his alleged accomplice Ruben Flores will be delayed one week because of a “health concern among one of the trial participants.”
Paul Flores is charged with murdering Kristin Smart during an attempted rape in 1996 following a Cal Poly frat party. His father Ruben Flores is suspected of helping his son dispose of Smart’s body, which prosecutors believe was buried under a deck at Ruben Flores’ Arroyo Grande home.
Jury selection started last week and was expected to resume on June 20. However, because of a health issue with one of the trial participants, jury selection is now slated to resume on June 29.
The court sent jury duty summons to more than 1,500 Monterey County residents. In the end, the court will impanel 40 jurors, which includes alternates.
Each defendant will have his own jury, which will listen to most of the trial simultaneously.