Defense attorney Hubert Santos revealed his charming courtroom demeanor but not the defense's strategy for the upcoming retrial of Chihan Eric Chyung, as jury selection got underway Friday in New London Superior Court.

Chyung, 55, was convicted of murder and manslaughter in 2014 in the shooting death in Norwich of his wife, Paige Anne Bennett. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison, but the state Supreme Court overturned the verdict in April 2017 and sent the case back to the trial court.

Chyung had been represented by several attorneys before retaining Santos, a prominent Hartford defense attorney well known in southeastern Connecticut for his representation of the late Charles Buck of Stonington, who was found not guilty of killing his wife.

Santos, who is 74, joked that the defense was in trouble as he struggled to stand up to introduce himself to the first panel of prospective jurors Friday. He explained he recently had a hip replaced and received permission from Judge Hunchu Kwak to sit during the trial, but wanted to stand to introduce himself.

Santos said it came to his attention recently that this is his 50th year of practicing law, "but it only feels like 49." He is trying the case with attorney Trent LaLima, a young associate in Santos' law firm, and told the jurors, "He's older than he looks."

Attorneys for Chyung and the state will be selecting 12 regular jurors and four alternates over the next few weeks. The trial tentatively is scheduled to begin on March 11 in Superior Court in Norwich. Chyung, who remains incarcerated, has pleaded not guilty to murder and first-degree manslaughter with a firearm. On Friday, Chyung confirmed in court that he was turning down the state's most recent offer to plead guilty in exchange for a 35-year sentence.

Santos has filed routine pretrial motions but has not revealed his defense strategy. The evidence is expected to be much the same as it was at Chyung's first trial.

The case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney David J. Smith, with assistance from Inspector Michael Hurley. Smith, who successfully prosecuted Chyung at his first trial, also introduced himself to the prospective jurors and read a long list of potential witnesses that included several now retired Norwich police officials who worked on the Chyung investigation. 

According to testimony and court documents, just 17 days after the couple married, Chyung shot Bennett, 46, after the pair fought about expenses. Chyung admitted on the witness stand at his first trial that he shot Bennett, but claimed his Glock 9 mm handgun discharged accidentally when he attempted to pack it in a suitcase and leave their Taftville home. The state contended he intentionally killed Bennett.

The Supreme Court ruled the verdicts for both manslaughter and murder were legally inconsistent. The murder charge required that the jury find Chyung acted intentionally, while the manslaughter charge required a finding that he acted with reckless disregard for human life.

Judge Kwak instructed the potential jurors that if the state proves its case beyond a reasonable doubt, they would only be able to find Chyung guilty of one of the two charges.

Chyung's mother and wife were in the courtroom as jury selection got underway.

The victim's mother, Sheila Monter, has died since the first trial, but her surviving siblings and children have been following the legal developments.

k.florin@theday.com