Jury seated in Apple-Samsung damages trial

SAN JOSE — Early Tuesday morning, Apple and Samsung reconvened to finish deciding the damages Samsung owes its competitor in the smartphone market.

Judge Lucy Koh remarked before the pool of prospective jurors shuffled into the courtroom:

“I do want to select the jury before I retire.”

Last year a jury decided that Samsung owed Apple over $1 billion in damages for infringing Apple’s patents. But the jury’s errors in calculating the final number meant that a new jury would need to determine the final price tag.

Jurors called in had some understanding of the case and knowledge of the companies. Of an initial pool, 12 of 34 jurors had not heard of the Apple Samsung case.

A group was dismissed because they were talking about what devices they owned before the court called them in for more detailed questions.

One juror wanted to hear the case but admitted he disliked Apple products, noting:

“I don’t like being in the Apple world.”

Of the entire group, multiple jurors owned Apple phones and tablets and Samsung televisions. Only one person had read the book about Steve Jobs, the former Apple head who wanted to take down the companies copying his company’s phone and tablet designs.

The court finished selecting an eight-person jury at 5:30 p.m., an hour later than court sessions normally last.

Wednesday, opening statements are due from Apple and Samsung. While the jury will not determine any infringement, they will decide how much of the hundreds of millions of dollars Samsung owes Apple based on last year’s trial.