By Tam Nguyen, Nguoi Viet
SANTA ANA, Calif. ― About 100 people filed into the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Thomas M. Goethals on Monday, potential jurors in the case of the murder of Kim Pham.
Vanesa Tapia Zavala, left, and Candace Marie Brito are charged in the beating death of Kim Pham in front of a Santa Ana nightclub. (File photo by Mark Boster-Pool/Getty Images)
Jury selection is expected to wrap up on Tuesday, with 12 jurors and four alternates seated to hear the case against Candice Brito, 27, and Vanesa Zavala, 25. The women will stand trial for allegedly assaulting and killing Pham, 23, outside of the Crosby nightclub in Santa Ana in January.
Pham died two days after the assault from blunt-force trauma to the head, according to Orange County Coroner’s office.
Brito and Zavala were both in court Thursday, listening as the vetting of potential jurors went on. They had on civilian clothes and were handcuffed at the wrists and ankles. Brito wore all black with her brown hair down. Zavala wore a tan suit with her hair tied up.
Neither families of the victim nor the defendants were present in the courtroom.
Opening statements are expected on Wednesday. Goethals said he anticipates the trial could last until July 24.
